Water-borne diseases kill more children in Haiti then anything else except for the diseases related to malnutrition.  Almost all of Haiti's school children drink contaminated water from streams, rivers, collected rainwater, springs and wells. The solution to the problem is to find a way to provide clean affordable water that would be 100% free of parasites and over 85% free of deadly bacteria. The bio-sand water filter is the technology and means to accomplish the eradication of diseases and dysentery killing children caused by polluted ground water.

The objective is to provide clean drinking water to 15,000-20,000 students, in scores of communities throughout Haiti, by installing over 600 heavy-duty, bio-sand filters plus sanitary storage dispensers and hygiene curricula in approximately 105 schools related to the Methodist Church of Haiti (Eglise Methodiste d’Haiti).

Primary Goals:

R Establish and support sustainable Bio-sand water filters in all 105 Methodist related schools in the country of Haiti.

R Provide training, resources, and support for the maintenance of the bio-sand filters.

R Provide necessary sanitation and hygiene education in the schools and their communities.

The bio-sand water filter was developed by Dr. David Manz of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been extensively tested in laboratories at the University of Calgary, MIT and Dartmouth College, and has proven economical and effective in thousands of field installations. 

Many technical reports have been published attesting to the effectiveness of the water filtration system. The reports confirm that under optimal operating conditions, the bio-sand filter is capable of removing 97% of fecal coliform, 100% of giardia cysts, 99.98% cyptosporidium oocysts, 100% worms, 100% parasites, and up to 90% of organic and inorganic toxicants from contaminated water.

Click here for more information on Haiti’s bio-sand filters