Pure water for Peru

Below is a news story about a wonderful recent development at NPH Peru reported by Monika Babski, Communications Officer. 

At the end of this summer, everyone at NPH Peru was proud to say we were able to solve one of our biggest concerns. Thanks to the support of donors like you, we were able to provide access to clean and potable water for all at our home. We installed a water filtration system that allows everyone to drink water right from the tap. 

Water is a huge issue in Peru, and the country is called South America´s most water stressed country. On average, surface water in Peru is abundant. Nevertheless, it is unequally distributed. This is especially true in the coastal area where our home and the country´s major cities are located. The land where our home lies is very dry. The capital, Lima, is more than nine times bigger than Peru´s next largest city. It's also the second largest city located in a desert after Cairo. 

Another big problem in Peru is that water treatment is rare, and most of the water is contaminated with parasites putting the population´s health at risk. In Peru drinking water does not meet WHO standards, and unfortunately, there is no national movement to improve the quality of the drinking water. Everybody is used to buying bottled water or boiling it before consuming it. We all did too before this important project was materialized. Our water´s level of hardness was way too high for human consumption. It was also contaminated by bacteria and parasites because the source for our water stems from the Rio Cañete, which is a polluted river. 

After the disinfection, painting of the water tower and the cistern, the equipment was finally installed. It includes a chlorine filter, an active carbon water filter, a sand trap and water softener equipment. Once the water goes through the whole filtration process it becomes free of bacteria and any other contaminants. At the same time, the water hardness goes down to 250, which is the required value for potable water. This project has been a fundamental improvement in the quality of life for our children, staff and volunteers. Now our whole family can drink water from the tap without being worried.

Thank you to all our Friends!