What is a PER? How EWB-USA volunteers help US communities unlock infrastructure funding

Many communities across the United States are facing critical water, wastewater, transportation, and other infrastructure challenges due to aging systems and limited capacity for upgrades and ongoing maintenance. Others may have never received these services at all. These issues are often compounded in small and rural communities where technical, managerial, and financial resources are limited. While state and federal infrastructure funding opportunities have expanded in recent years, many communities still struggle to access those resources without the technical documentation required to apply.

What does this have to do with a PER?

A PER is the acronym used for "Preliminary Engineering Report", and as the name would suggest, it is one of the primary deliverables of preliminary engineering services. Preliminary engineering is a critical step in turning infrastructure needs into fundable projects and ultimately tangible improvements. Communities need a clear understanding of the scope of the challenges, potential solutions, estimated costs, and implementation timelines before they can pursue grants or loans for detailed designs and construction. This can become a major roadblock, particularly in communities that have no local engineer or resources to hire a consultant.

Engineers Without Borders USA helps bridge this gap by providing technical assistance when it’s needed the most. Through a network of skilled volunteers, EWB-USA supports communities with project planning, assessments, and preliminary engineering at no cost. This early-stage support helps communities evaluate options, prioritize improvements, and develop the documentation needed to unlock critical infrastructure funding.

For water and wastewater projects, this often includes the development of a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), which provides a summary of existing conditions and needs, an alternatives analysis, cost estimates, and recommended solutions. These reports are typically required to be stamped by a licensed professional engineer and are essential for securing funding that enables communities to move projects from conception to implementation.

The Power of a PER to Help Communities Unlock Funding

One example of this process in action is the Laurel Water Supply community in Laurel, Maryland. This small, rural community had been falling through the cracks of political boundaries for years. When their well collapsed, the situation became urgent. The failure left residents with brown, foul-smelling water, forcing the community to truck in water daily just to meet basic needs.

Their challenge was daunting; connecting to the closest centralized system would have required an estimated $1.2 million in loans and would have skyrocketed their monthly bills. The interim solution, of trucking water into the community, was also costly, ranging from $800-$1,200 every week.

EWB-USA stepped in to provide engineering support, working alongside community members to analyze the system and evaluate alternatives. Together, they identified two preferred paths forward: connecting to the Charles County water system, or constructing a new well with individual meters. The volunteer team developed a Preliminary Engineering Report and submitted it to the USDA for grant funding consideration. That report became the turning point. The community qualified for USDA Rural Development funding (a program that requires a PER as part of the application) and received an estimated $90,000 to construct a new well. As board treasurer, Jerilyn Gomez, put it:

“...that report turned into a lot of money, that turned into a new well being drilled. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you.”

The Laurel story illustrates what a PER makes possible: not just a technical document, but the key that unlocks a community's ability to access the resources that have always existed, just out of reach.