Engineers Without Borders - UIC

The first project on which EWB-UIC partnered with Cerro Alto was to design and build a wall around their school. The project was initiated in 2006 and completed in 2007. The current project, which is focused on improving their drinking water quality, stemmed from a health report that was based on a composite of four interviews compiled during two site visits. The first visit took place in June 2006 during EWB-UIC’s first project assessment trip. The second visit took place in January 2007 during the first project implementation trip. The health report revealed a variety of health problems within the community, the most prevalent of which seemed to be gastro-intestinal related problems. Both diarrhea and vomiting were reported as common in the community, especially among children. Throughout the year about 90% of children suffer from gastro-intestinal problems. While there are many potential reasons for this, one of the main causes appears to be untreated drinking water.