From Setback to Success: Engineering That Learns and Listens
At EWB-USA, projects don’t always unfold exactly as planned. Whether working in rural Uganda or the highlands of Guatemala, engineering with communities means working with change. Environmental surprises, evolving needs, and lessons that don’t show up in a CAD file are a reality of the field of work.
The path from planning to implementation isn’t always smooth. But when volunteers and partners meet those moments with humility and flexibility, the results are often more resilient, more responsive, and more meaningful than what was first imagined. The stories that follow highlight what it looks like when plans shift and how teams rise to meet the moment.
Miami University of Ohio and Kabingo, Uganda: Adapting to Iron-Rich Water and Real-Time Learning
When EWB-USA volunteers from Miami University partnered with the community of Kabingo in southwestern Uganda, the goal was clear: deliver safe, sustainable water access to a growing population across villages, schools, and health centers. Years of inconsistent and unsafe surface water had taken a toll on health and daily life. But as the project unfolded, the team quickly learned that clean water access isn’t just a matter of building pipes and pumps but also adapting to the unexpected.
Initial assessments identified several promising groundwater sources, but lab results told a different story. The water, while abundant, contained dangerously high levels of iron: some wells measured over 50 mg/L, far beyond Uganda’s recommended limit of 0.3 mg/L. The metallic taste and rust-colored stains only added to local skepticism. A traditional borehole system wouldn’t be enough.
Rather than abandon the project or seek entirely new sources, the EWB-USA team leaned into creative problem-solving. They co-developed a modular iron removal system using simple, accessible technologies: aeration to oxidize the iron, sedimentation tanks to let it settle out, and slow sand filtration, all using materials that could be sourced or maintained locally. Two pilot systems were constructed and monitored with help from community members, local chemistry teachers, and a student-run Water Club. When early flow rates were too slow and the taste still wasn’t quite right, the team adapted by adjusting retention times, experimenting with filter media, and continuing to test with community input.
Even with treatment challenges under control, the bigger picture remained: how do you deliver clean water across a dispersed, rural region when funding, time, and capacity are limited? Instead of waiting for a perfect all-at-once solution, the team worked with community leaders to design a five-year phased build plan. Each phase prioritized critical sites, like schools and clinics, while allowing room to learn and improve as new challenges emerged. It was a deliberate yet flexible strategy built around what was feasible, not just what was ideal. Now, the system serves four villages in a 2 square kilometer area.
The result wasn’t a straight line, but a sustained, evolving partnership. Kabingo’s water system continues to grow: one pilot, one phase, one conversation at a time. The success wasn’t just in the engineering, but in the willingness to listen, adapt, and build trust when the unexpected became the norm.
Marquette University in El Tesoro, Guatemala: The Work That Follows the Work
In El Tesoro, Guatemala, clean water has always been hard to come by. Families relied on distant springs and surface water sources that were both time-consuming to collect and vulnerable to contamination, especially during the rainy season. When EWB-USA’s Marquette University Chapter partnered with the community, the goal was to build something transformative: a gravity-fed water system with a spring box, elevated tank, chlorinator, and 115 household tap connections.
Construction went smoothly, and when the system launched, the community had running water directly to homes. It was a powerful success! But as is often the case in long-term infrastructure work, the real test came after the ribbon was cut.
On a follow-up monitoring and evaluation trip, the team found that while the infrastructure itself was in solid condition, some key practices had lapsed. Most notably, the community had stopped using the chlorine tablets designed to keep the water safe. The local water committee shared that there were growing concerns about the health impacts of chlorinated water, fueled by rumors and a lack of trust. Additionally, regular maintenance tasks like cleaning the tank or inspecting the spring box weren’t being carried out consistently. Residents reported a strange taste or slippery feeling in the water, especially after heavy rain, signs that water quality might be at risk.
Instead of approaching the situation as a setback, the EWB-USA team treated it as part of the process. They held refresher training sessions with the water committee and offered transparent, science-based explanations about how chlorination works and why it matters. They helped update maintenance schedules and emphasized that community ownership of the system didn’t just mean using it but also feeling confident in how to care for it.
The conversations were honest and sometimes difficult. But over time, trust began to rebuild. The water committee recommitted to using chlorine and began collecting annual household fees to fund future maintenance. For both the volunteers and the residents, the experience underscored a central truth of global engineering: success isn’t a single moment. It’s the ability to respond, adapt, and stay accountable, especially after the technical work is done.
Adaptability in the Real World
The most successful EWB-USA projects aren’t always the ones that go exactly to plan; they’re the ones that adapt. Whether it’s redesigning a water treatment system in Kabingo or rebuilding trust around chlorination in El Tesoro, impact comes from listening, adjusting, and working side by side with communities through uncertainty.
These roadblocks don’t signal failure; they’re part of the work. And in every challenge, there’s an opportunity to learn, strengthen partnerships, and deliver solutions that last. Flexibility isn’t just a trait of a good engineer: it’s a cornerstone of ethical, community-driven development.
Because in the end, progress doesn’t always follow a straight line. But with a resilient mindset, it still moves forward.