HAITI SCHOOL WATER PROJECT

“The Ministry of Water”
Water-borne diseases kill more children in Haiti than anything else except related diseases from malnutrition. Almost all of Haiti’s water is contaminated and is taken from streams, rivers, collected rain water, springs and wells; mainly surface water. The solution to this problem is to find a way to provide clean affordable water that would be 100% free of parasites and over 85% free of deadly bacteria. The bio-sand water filter is the technology and means to accomplish the eradication of diseases and dysentery that is killing children in Haiti

The goal and objective is to provide clean drinking water to 15,000-20,000 students in scores of communities throughout Haiti. This will be accomplished by installing over 600 heavy-duty bio-sand water filters, plus sanitary storage dispensers and providing a hygiene curricula in all the 100 plus schools related to the Methodist Church of Haiti (Eglise Methodiste d’Haiti).

The bio-sand water filter was developed by Dr. David Manz of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was extensively tested in laboratories at the University of Calgary, MIT and Dartmouth College, and has proven economical and effective in thousands of field installations.

Many technical reports have been published attesting to the effectiveness of the water filtration system. The reports confirm that under optimal operating conditions, the bio-sand water filter is capable of removing 97% of fecal coli form, 100% of giardia cysts, 99.98% cryptosporidium cysts, 100% worms, 100% parasites, and up to 90% of organic and inorganic toxicants from contaminated water.

The cement containers are filled with sand and the plastic pipe exiting at the bottom of the filter and returning up the side combine to form a “trap,” similar to the trap under a sink. As the water in both sides of a trap seek a uniform level, the height of the outlet of the pipe is adjusted to maintain approximately 2 inches of water on top of the sand in the container. As polluted water is poured into the container through a diffuser plate that controls the rate of flow, clean water that has traveled through the various layers of the sand filtrations process exits the pipe into receptacles.

Working together with the Methodist Church of Haiti and in cooperation with UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and the Michigan Area Haiti Task Force (Detroit and West Michigan conferences) and Pure Water for the World, the program will be a model for other agencies and organizations to also provide needed clean water in Haiti.

Funding received for the Haiti School Water Project will be used to manufacture the bio-sand water filters (concrete and made in Haiti) and also provide for the delivery to central points for distribution to elementary and secondary schools and other facilities related to the Methodist Church of Haiti.

The ultimate goal of this program is to demonstrate a model that can be implemented to provide affordable clean water for 300,000 to 500,000 Haitian children by the end of 2010 which is consistent with UNICEF’s goal of “clean water for every student.”

Haitians will have clean affordable water and will no longer be using contaminated surface water..