FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Washington, DC – January 23, 2010 – Since the Earthquake 10 days ago, an American non-governmental group has developed a system which delivers clean water to 150,000 residents of the Haitian capital each day. International Action has located 28 water storage tanks in Port-au-Prince neighborhoods which are undamaged and able to hold at least 1,000 gallons of clean water. The group is now paying local water truck drivers to fill these tanks in the poorest parts of the city.
International Action staff is adding chlorine to each truckload of water. Each truck holds 3,000 gallons of water and can make 5 trips a day to many parts of the city. So far, International Action is renting 10 trucks and plans to rent more as roads are cleared of earthquake debris.
Since May of 2006, International Action has installed chlorinators on water tanks in Port-au-Prince. With 140 installations, the group has supplied clean water on a daily basis to 400,000 Haitians.
In the first three days after the quake, Dalebrun Esther, the Haitian director of the group, supplied 20,000 gallons of water to the poorest neighborhoods using the groups’ small truck tank. Now, he devotes his time to recruiting commercial truckers who normally haul water to wealthy neighborhoods and vendors who can pay higher sums for water. International Action is funding the truckers to reach poor neighborhoods in the crisis and adding chlorine for safety.
International Action is developing a plan for rebuilding at least 23 water tanks damaged by the quake and adding water tanks in those neighborhoods currently without them. This effort will reach 2 million residents in a period of 5 years.
More funding, and more support from CAMEP (the water agency of Port-au-Prince), and even help from the US military now in Haiti could speed up the schedule. Chlorinators are made by Norweco at Norwalk, OH and chlorine tablets are made by Arch Chemicals at Norwalk, CT.
About International Action
International Action is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on creating a healthy Haiti by providing clean water and other life-saving programs. Since 2006, International Action has worked with Haitian communities to provide training, education, and create sustainable water systems. International Action currently protects over 600,000 Haitians from waterborne diseases and improves their quality of life.
Contact
Youngmin Chang
ychang@haitiwater.org
International Action
819 L Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 488-0735
https://haitiwater.org/