Community Engineering Corps Program: Real World Application

There are over an estimated 2 million Americans who live without running water and basic plumbing, with Black, Latinx, and Native American households being disproportionately impacted by this lack of adequate infrastructure. These estimates are likely under-reported based on the lack of data and information available within the Domestic WASH Sector. This challenge presents an opportunity for technical volunteers to work alongside these communities, developing solutions that help them secure their right to safe, accessible, and affordable drinking water and wastewater.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, there are billions of dollars allocated to infrastructure improvements. However, this money is not free and often requires preliminary engineering documents to be included within the application. For many communities, the cost of hiring a consultant to complete the preliminary engineering is a burden too high to bear. Our program works as the missing puzzle piece between these communities and the available funding.

The Community Engineering Corps program works to strategically pair technical volunteers with underserved communities to work together to identify and recommend solutions that work best for the community’s needs and constraints. This allows the communities to receive engineering services pro bono, eliminating the concerns around the affordability of preliminary engineering. By providing these pro-bono consulting services, the program can assist communities in unlocking funding that can then be used to design and construct their infrastructure improvements while providing a meaningful way for technical professionals to give back.

The session will discuss the Community Engineering Corps program process, utilizing project examples to depict the real-world application of the program. The process will feature the capacity-building components offered by AWWA Training Services, completing Preliminary Assessments, and connecting our clients to AWWA resources.

Additionally, this session will highlight a case study of a colonia-like community outside of Austin, Texas, that has widespread failing septic systems, and in situ soil conditions that were not suitable for use of septic in the first place. As a result, untreated sewage has contaminated the soil and ponds on the ground, leading to numerous residents becoming infected with gastrointestinal parasites not seen in the USA for many years. The program is working with the community, in partnership with other organizations and volunteers, to support the community in addressing its wastewater infrastructure challenges.

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