Planet Water Foundation Supports Hurricane Relief Effort in Puerto Rico

The foundation will place 12 AquaTower water filtration systems in the hardest-hit regions of Puerto Rico
Planet Water Foundation Supports Hurricane Relief Effort in Puerto Rico

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Planet Water Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on bringing clean water to the world’s most impoverished communities, recently announced plans to deploy 12 AquaTower water filtration systems in response to the emergency need for clean, safe water in some of the hardest-hit areas of Puerto Rico devastated by Hurricane Maria in September.

Mark Steele, founder and CEO of Planet Water Foundation, says the scope of the devastation to Puerto Rico’s water and power infrastructure has created a humanitarian crisis that requires a unique solution to the immense need for safe drinking water.

“Our AquaTowers provide point-of-need access to clean water in a matter of hours after delivery, and can operate without electricity, making our systems perfectly suited to aid in response to the desperate need for drinking water while they rebuild,” Steele says.

AquaTowers filter source water by removing bacteria, protozoa, viruses, pathogens and other contaminants without the use of electricity or harmful chemicals. Each AquaTower produces up to 10,000 liters of safe, clean water per day and supports the daily drinking requirements of up to 1,000 people. Planet Water Foundation currently supports nearly 1 million people with clean water access in 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.

Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company, is funding 10 AquaTowers in remote areas of Puerto Rico. The company has supported Planet Water Foundation with funding and employee and supplier volunteer engagements in more than 250 communities located across the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America.

Watts Water Technologies Inc. is 
funding two of the AquaTower 
deployments in Puerto Rico. The two AquaTowers 
are an extension of Watts’ growing partnership with
 Planet Water Foundation that includes the efforts of employee volunteers.

DHL Express is supporting the relief assistance program through the contribution of transportation and logistics to ship the AquaTower systems and supplies to Puerto Rico from the Asia-Pacific region.

To ensure maximum benefit from the 12 AquaTowers, Fundación Banco Popular is providing local support with San Juan-based Rayo de Luna, an initiative of Harimau Conservation that is coordinating local logistics and site identification.

About Planet Water Foundation
Planet Water Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on bringing clean water to the world’s most impoverished communities through the installation of community-based water filtration systems (AquaTowers) and the deployment of hygiene education programs. Planet Water Foundation projects are focused on children, schools and rural/peri-urban communities across Asia and Latin America. For more information, visit www.planet-water.org.



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