Engineering is often thought of as a profession focused on designing bridges, improving infrastructure, and solving complex technical challenges. But for members of Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA), engineering is also a tool for connection, collaboration, and building opportunities for communities to thrive.
Founded on the belief that sustainable solutions come from working alongside the people they serve, EWB-USA brings together engineers, students, and community partners to address critical needs around the world.
Here in Boise, the Treasure Valley EWB-USA Professional Chapter is bringing that mission home by connecting local professionals who want to use their skills beyond the workplace. Through volunteer service, technical expertise, and a commitment to community-driven solutions, chapter members show that engineering is about more than what gets built. But rather, it is about the people those projects support.
For over eight years, Eric Molten has been part of EWB-USA, from his time as a student through his professional career. Today, Molten serves as a civil engineer at Merrick & Company, specializing in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. His experience allows him to contribute to projects with life-changing impacts that reach communities across the globe.
Molten and his EWB-USA colleagues are currently designing a water system for the community of Belen, Guatemala, where approximately 500 residents rely on water collected from a cave for their drinking supply.
The current system presents significant challenges. The water is untreated and unsafe, and during the dry season, community members must travel deeper into the cave (sometimes hundreds of feet) to access enough water.
“It’s making people really sick,” Molten explained. “So, we are designing a pump system that will pull the water out of the cave, run it through a treatment process, and move it into a storage tank.”
The goal is to provide Belen with a simple, reliable, and safe pressurized drinking water system that can deliver clean water directly to every household.
“I enjoy being part of EWB-USA because of the great work we do, especially getting clean drinking water infrastructure into communities in need,” Molten said. “It’s one thing to talk about a project; it’s another thing entirely to see it all come together.”
Molten has had the opportunity to travel internationally with EWB-USA, spending a week in El Salvador helping test infrastructure and train local residents on how to operate and maintain their new water system.
But projects like these require much more than engineering expertise.
“The engineering itself is actually a pretty small lift,” Molten said. “Construction, fundraising, implementation, and training can be the hard parts.”
EWB-USA works alongside local chapters, nonprofit organizations, and community partners around the world (Asociación Qana’ TzuulTaq’a for the Belen project) to bring these solutions to life. The organization also partners with local Rotary clubs and other community groups to support fundraising efforts and project costs.
“The goal is to make it completely free for the communities,” Molten said.
From water and sanitation systems to infrastructure and community development, EWB-USA projects focus on creating solutions that are practical, sustainable, and built to last. For Treasure Valley engineers, the organization provides an opportunity to collaborate, mentor, serve, and make a meaningful impact, both locally and globally.
At its core, EWB-USA is a reminder that engineering is not just about designing systems. It is about listening, partnering, and creating solutions that improve everyday life. Through the dedication of volunteers, community partners, and supporters, projects like the one in Belen can move from an idea on paper to a lasting resource for generations to come.
Community members who want to support these efforts and help bring safe, sustainable solutions to communities in need can learn more or contribute to the Treasure Valley EWB-USA Professional Chapter here: https://support.ewb-usa.org/give/83985#!/donation/checkout