Laurel Gompuene, Ecuador Water Supply Project
Laurel Gompuene is an indigenous highlands community near Flores, Ecuador. The community hosts less than 130 residents among approximately 32 homes. The community is served by a local water system which does not serve all homes in the community. Residents also indicated they cannot keep up with increasing repair needs and requested EWB to assess and provide improvements. EWB completed the first assessment trip during late Summer 2023 and is currently active on this project.
Our water project in Laurel Gompuene, Ecuador, continues. Laurel Gompuene is a small community of largely older adults near the old provincial capital of Riobamba. A local water system installed years ago has become dysfunctional and damaged, and restoration of service is essential to the community’s survival. After a thorough system and community assessment last fall, the chapter recently completed an analysis of alternatives and recommended a set of implementation actions. Those actions are now being socialized with the community while internally kicking off design activities to restore operation of water storage and delivery infrastructure. Through the EWB regional office in Quito we are coordinating with the Riobamba Municipality for support with equipment and initiating planning for an implementation trip in September.
Implementation activities will include the design and installation of at least one break tank to alleviate overpressure, the installation of new service lines, improvements to the community’s well pump installation, and preparation of updated operator and maintenance instructions.
In early summer the chapter will begin to form a team of up to eight (8) volunteers for the Fall implementation trip. We estimate a week in the community with travel to and from on each surrounding weekend. Lodging will be at a hotel in Riobamba, and the team will have 24-hour access to a dedicated van and driver along with a representative of the Quito regional office. Riobamba lies in an area surrounded by volcanoes and contains a wealth of Spanish colonial architecture.
In order to travel with the team, a volunteer must be a member of Engineers Without Borders USA and affiliated with the Indianapolis Professionals Chapter. While all in-country expenses are paid for, we ask that professional members pay their own air fare. Travel insurance, which includes medical care, is provided by EWB USA. Interested volunteers should contact Kate Kreienkamp, chapter president and project lead, at katherinekreienkamp@gmail.com, or Allen Boyd, chapter vice president, at haboyd1@frontier.com.
Project Gallery
