Living Water International

Living Water International is a non-profit organization helping deprived communities implement water, sanitation and hygiene education projects. Since its founding in 1991, LWI has completed more than 4,200 water projects that serve 6 million people daily. The organization has ongoing operations in 25 countries: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Haiti, Peru, Brazil, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, India and Romania.

Living Water International exists to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, along with "living water"--the gospel of Jesus Christ--which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

Living Water International is a ONE Campaign partner. 

Background
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unsafe water is responsible for approximately 1.8 million deaths annually, 90 percent among children. The WHO believes that increased access to safe water along with improved health and hygiene would significantly reduce the amount of disease in developing countries.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that unsafe water and inadequate sanitation are two of the great drivers of world poverty and inequality. "They claim millions of lives, destroy livelihoods, compromise dignity and diminish prospects for economic growth. Poor people, especially poor women and children, bear the brunt of the human costs."

Technology
In many areas of the world, the most safe and reliable water solution is drilling a well and installing a contained water delivery system, typically with a hand pump. However, many remote areas are inaccessible to large, truck-mounted drilling rigs. In 1989, LWI co-founder Harry Westmoreland developed the LS-100, an inexpensive, portable, soft-formation drill rig. The LS-100, and the upgraded LS-200, can be easily dismantled and transported in a pick-up truck or boat, and can be operated by one person.

In some areas, water is plentiful but contaminated. In these cases, LWI uses a BioSand Water Filter technology developed by Dr. David Manz of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which uses the process of slow sand filtration. Contaminated water is poured into the top of the filter and passes through layers of sand and gravel by gravity until collected by a standpipe at the bottom of the filter. A biological layer which forms in the top one or two centimeters of sand aids in the filtration process by digesting most organic contaminants, parasites, bacteria, and viruses. BioSand Water Filters are used to effectively and inexpensively remove water-borne pathogens (helminths, parasites, bacteria and viruses), particulate matter, color and other DOC, BCOD, organic toxins and inorganic toxins such as arsenic and mercury.

Quotes
"We shall not finally defeat AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, or any of the other infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation and basic health care." Kofi Annan, Former United Nations Secretary-General

"The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses" – UN General Comment No. 15 (2002): The Right to Water.