The EWB Denver Professionals have a long relationship with Ecuador, working on a number of different projects with various communities since 2006, through an extensive partnership with Centro Educativo La Minga. Currently, the EWB Denver Professionals are working in the community of Samilpamba.
Samilpamba Potable Water
Samilpamba is another village in the region in which the chapter has long been working, higher in elevation than the others at about 12,000 feet. Work on the Samilpamba potable water system began in 2018 and is nearing completion in 2022. The system, when completed, will serve about 200 people in 26 households. The system is successfully run by the community’s Water Board, made up of community members. The Samilpamba potable water system was funded through donations to EWB Denver Professional Chapter and to Centro Educativo La Minga.
[PLACEHOLDER – Video]
Past Projects
Engineers Without Borders (EWB) – Denver Professional Chapter began its commitment to help with water projects in Malingua Pamba and surrounding communities in June 2006. This commitment has continued to the present day. Since 2006, EWB teams have visited Malingua Pamba and surrounding communities over 20 times. By combining the engineering expertise of EWB along with the mingas (volunteer labor) for which the Quechua are famous, multiple projects have been completed or are in process.
The first project completed was a potable water project that serves about 100 households from Malingua Pamba at the high end (10,800 feet) to Quinta Tunguiche, a nearby village, at the low end (10,000 feet). The project was completed in 2009. The system has been run since 2009 by a Water Board made up of community members. It has been well-run, with needed repairs and improvements directed by the Water Board, paid for by community member dues, and completed using minga volunteer labor.
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There was an irrigation system that served Quinta Tunguiche and parts of neighboring villages when EWB first visited the area in 2006. However, the irrigation system did not work well and was plagued by leaks and service interruptions. EWB helped the villagers improve their irrigation system from 2009 to 2012, but problems still remained. A more comprehensive irrigation project was conceived of and designed in 2014 and 2015. This system, completed in 2018, serves 56 users and provides irrigation water to the users on a schedule defined by the Irrigation Water Board. The irrigation project is a success, with the users enjoying increased yields on their croplands. The Quinta Tunguiche irrigation water system was funded through a partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Grand County, Colorado and Latacunga, Ecuador.
Guantugloma is another neighboring village at higher elevation than Malingua Pamba (at 11,700 feet). Work on the potable water system in Guantugloma began in 2013 and was completed in 2018. The system serves about 400 people in 56 households. The system is fairly complex, with one 10,000-liter storage tank, fourteen 2,000-liter pressure break tanks, and over 8,000 meters of piping. The system is successfully run by the Water Board, made up of community members. The Guantugloma potable water system was funded through a partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Aurora, Colorado and Latacunga, Ecuador.
A sanitary sewer system was designed and constructed to serve the schools in Malingua Pamba and multiple houses near the village center. The design began in 2018 and construction was completed in 2019. The sanitary sewer system greatly improves the management of sanitary waste in this area. The Malingua Pamba sanitary sewer system was funded by the Rotary Club of Grand County, Colorado.
