NGO’s work together to provide water to communities
EPA and local law enforcement in Aguas Buenas assessing a water treatment system.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are supporting more than 89,000 total residents in 237 communities all across Puerto Rico that rely on water sources from pumps and wells for their drinking water, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
The NGO engineers, working in coordination with FEMA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), assessed the water systems in these communities for damage and evaluated them for repair or replacement solutions.
FEMA and other government agencies are able to meet the immediate potable water needs by delivering bottled water to those that cannot access bulk water sites, while the NGOs and Puerto Rico’s officials are working to find more permanent answers, the agency stated.
This is where NGOs such as Water Mission, Samaritan’s Purse, the Salvation Army, Project Hope, Mercy Corps, the American Red Cross, and others, come in. One of the solutions has been to distribute Pure2Go Water Purifier kits or Sawyer PointONE filters to the residents.
These reusable filters remove harmful bacteria. Living Water Treatment Systems have been installed directly into nearby creeks and streams to provide the residents with purified water when their original water treatment methods are not repairable.
Meanwhile, some water treatment systems just need a power source, which the NGOs are able to provide via solar or diesel/gas powered generators.
“Monetary donations to these organizations are the best way to be a part of providing Puerto Rico with potable water. The donations are used to purchase the supplies, arrange transport for the supplies to Puerto Rico, and distribute them to these communities,” FEMA said.
