H2O Global News are proud to share with our readers, a piece from Water Mission, one of our Partners, who believe that the global water crisis can be solved through a comprehensive approach to combating the crisis with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions. Water Mission design customized solutions for each community they serve and partner with the recipients throughout the process. A successful project results in more time for work and education, improved health, and increased productivity for the community.
Prior to 2015, Western Tanzania’s Nyarugusu refugee camp was home to approximately 65,000 refugees from Democratic Republic of the Congo. The original water systems, installed decades prior, only offered intermittent access to treated water. Then, between the spring and fall of 2015, more than 100,000 refugees arrived after escaping violence in Burundi, putting an incredible strain on the aging infrastructure, and safe clean water was the greatest need.
A humanitarian nightmare unfolded, prompting Water Mission, who were founded in 2001 to combat the global water crisis, to deploy 10 emergency water treatment systems in September 2015. These systems met the daily safe water needs of an estimated 50,000 refugees.
Emergency Living Water Treatment Systems installed in 2015 at the Nyarugusu refugee camp, Tanzania.
A year into the emergency relief operation, Water Mission received a grant from the Grundfos Foundation to install solar-powered pumping solutions to serve the entire camp. Today, these provide safe water to every man, woman, and child at the camp.
In March 2021, six years after this ground-breaking relief effort, some of the original equipment was returned to Water Mission’s headquarters. During their Annual Strategic Partners Event, this best-in-class equipment was returned to their partners.
Some of the original safe water treatment equipment from the Nyarugusu relief effort were displayed with honor at Water Mission’s Strategic Partners Event in March 2021.
This equipment served tens of thousands of people every day for years in Western Tanzania. It was part of a project that involved sourcing raw, highly contaminated water from the Kaga River, treating the water, and distributing it throughout Nyarugusu refugee camp.
Original safe water treatment equipment from the Nyarugusu refugee camp relief effort.
“Thanks to our faithful partners, lifegiving safe water continues to flow for hundreds of thousands of refugees in Western Tanzania. We thank these corporate partners for their dedication to quality. They allowed us to respond with safe water solutions in one of the most challenging environments in the world”.
This article has been republished with the permission of Water Mission. Learn more about Water Mission on our Partners page.
Would you like to contribute to H2O Global News? Apply to become a contributor or keep up with the latest news from the water industry and wastewater industry by subscribing to our weekly newsletter
