Living Waters for the World

Living Waters for the World (LWW) is a mission resource of the Synod of Living Waters of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Its goal is to train and equip mission teams to empower local leaders to provide clean water to communities in need across the globe. LWW water systems and related educational programs address the niche in world water provisioning in which communities have adequate available but contaminated water.

Ideal installation locations for LWW systems include clinics, churches, schools, orphanages, community centers, hospitals in areas with available but contaminated water.

Train the trainer: Every effort is made by LWW to ensure that operating partners (local, in-country partners) lead health, hygiene & spiritual education and construct the clean water system, and that initiating partners (typically U.S.-based partners) teach and supervise. A relationship for a minimum of three years is established, involving four or more trips.

History

The Living Waters for the World project was first conceived in the early 1990s by Wil Howie, a psychologist-turned-minister who believed that the Synod of Living Waters of which he is a member, could literally bring life-saving, "living" waters to people in need throughout the world.

Through 2003, Wil and a small band of dedicated installers were able to install about 11 systems. Recognizing that at this rate they would not be able to significantly impact the growing water needs of the countries in which they were active, Wil and others hit upon the idea of training and equipping others to do these installations. Clean Water U was started in 2003, and the number of systems installed per year has grown every year since that point.

From this humble beginning, Living Waters for the World clean water systems have been installed at more than 239 sites in 19 countries: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Madagasgar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, United States (Appalachia) and Venezuela.

Clean Water U

The training school for Living Waters for the World, [http://www.livingwatersfortheworld.org/cwuindex.php Clean Water U] is located deep in the woods of [http://www.camphopewell.com Hopewell Camp and Conference Center] outside of Oxford, Mississippi. Clean Water U is a simulation experience designed to equip mission teams with the skills necessary to form partnerships with communities in need of clean water, equip local leaders to lead ongoing health, hygiene and spiritual education and install the Living Waters for the World clean water system.

These learning objectives are taught in three separate courses which run concurrently during a five-day session. A church/organization typically sends three or more representatives - at least one for each class. These courses are:
* CWU 101: Fundamentals of Team Leadership, Water Testing and Partnership Development
* CWU 102: Water Health, Hygiene and Spirituality Training
* CWU 103: Water Treatment System Construction and Maintenance

Graduates of Clean Water U are equipped to serve as team leaders in subsequent water-focused mission trips. Graduates are also eligible to acquire all system parts, curriculum and related materials necessary for successful completion of these trips.

The number of Clean Water U sessions offered each year has grown steadily since the first session was offered in the spring of 2004. These sessions are open to people of any faith tradition or community service orientation. A per student fee is assessed to subsidize the cost of materials, facilities, lodging and meals.

Water treatment systems

A modular approach is used in the design of these community-sized water treatment systems. This provides a configurable solution to meet the specific needs of a partner.

The basic, or "standard" LWW water treatment system is designed as a batch treatment process with an integrated water bottling station for distribution of bottled water throughout a community. The process capacity for a single batch is typically about 300|USgal|m3 of treated water per cycle, with a processing time of approximately one hour. Processing consists of 3 stages of filtration, from 0.5 to 50 micrometres, followed by ozonation for bacteriological disinfection. The installation cost for a standard LWW system is about $2800, and operation costs are on the order of a penny per US gallon ($2.6 per m³).

In cases where the water source is particularly hard, or where the water has high levels of total dissolved solids or heavy metals, a standard LWW treatment system may not be appropriate. Such conditions are found, for example, in places such as the Yucatan Peninsula, where limestone karst and saltwater intrusion lead to high levels of TDS. For conditions such as these, the standard water treatment system is augmented with a water softener and a reverse osmosis treatment system. These additions necessarily increase the installation cost by several thousand dollars. Operational costs also increase, due to increased electrical usage and increased consumables. These systems also may not be appropriate for situations where source water scarcity is an issue, since the RO process generates a significant amount of wastewater.

In addition to community sized water treatment systems, LWW has also developed single-family sized systems for use in areas such as Appalachia where coal mining may have produced acid mine drainage that has contaminated local water sources. These systems may use the treatment components outlined above, and may also employ green sand filters with potassium permanganate to remove iron and hydrogen sulfide from the water.

Networks

As the number of LWW treatment systems -- particularly systems in close geopolitical proximity -- has grown, the idea of grouping these systems and their partners into mutually supportive networks has taken hold. Networks pair a LWW coordinator in the US with a coordinator in a specific geographical area or international region to match US partners with International partners to:
* create viable LWW projects,
* promote maintenance of the relationship during the covenant period,
* be aware of the status of all systems in the network area,
* facilitate access to materials and expertise necessary to maintain those systems in good order.LWW Networks communicate with LWW and each other via a Network Steering Group, composed of the US Coordinators of all networks, the LWW Director, and the moderator of the LWW Committee. As of mid-2008, seven networks exist or are in development with more under consideration. These include networks in: Appalachia, Chiapas (Southern Mexico), El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Yucatan.

The network model has proven effective at allowing LWW to expand the scope of its services while maintaining quality and responsiveness in providing clean water to communities in need. As installations expand into new parts of the world, networks will be developed to address them.

External websites

* [http://www.livingwatersfortheworld.org Living Waters for the World]
* [http://www.synodoflivingwaters.org Synod of Living Waters]
* [http://www.pcusa.org The Presbyterian Church (USA)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/lwwmission LWW on YouTube]
* [http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/8742295816e4e6398e249130cdb758a8 Wiser Earth]

Media

* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5043050 NPR: Filtering Provides Inexpensive Way to Clean Water]
* [http://www.pcusa.org/today/cover/2008/cover-0408.htm Presbyterians Today]
* [http://www.lightandlife.com/new/express/articles/clean_water_university.htm Light and Life]
* [http://www.al.com/living/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/living/121153411845310.xml&coll=1 Huntsville Times]
* [http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/2008/03/27/news/local/doc47eb74b31dc72064499261.txtKane County Chronicle]
* [http://www.caribpro.com/Caribbean_Property_Magazine/index.php?pageid=366 Caribbean Property Magazine]
* [http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200808220210/MICRO020701/808220330 The Tennessean]