The American Red Cross joins Proyecto Agua Limpia
The Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust (PRSTRT) and its Proyecto Agua Limpia (PAL) program join collaborative efforts with the American Red Cross to distribute more free water filters in communities in need of drinking water.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 15th 2019– Proyecto Agua Limpia (PAL), one of the programs of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, announces that the American Red Cross will collaborate with them with a contribution of $758,338 for the purpose of providing access to clean water in communities where they need it and extending a better quality of such recourse to its inhabitants.
As of July 18, 2019, PAL has distributed 33,757 filters during the I-III phases, impacting close to 88,000 citizens in communities of virtually all towns on the island. With this new grant from the American Red Cross, PAL will be able to deliver about 15,000 additional filters in its Phase IV in more municipalities including Aguas Buenas, Orocovis, San Germán, Juana Díaz, Las Piedras, Yabucoa and Corozal as well as important distributions in Vieques and Culebra during the month of August 2019. PAL Phase IV is already in progress and has distributed 6,376 filters that impact more than 13,715 citizens.
“Once again, we joined in collaboration with the American Red Cross to positively impact important community segments in Puerto Rico, this time with Proyecto Agua Limpia.”, said Lucy Crespo, CEO of PRSTRT. “We are excited that the American Red Cross has shared our vision of bringing health to more families who lack basic services that many take for granted and that so important has become even more after Hurricanes Irma and Maria affected our island.”
“Part of our mission at the American Red Cross is to help communities be better prepared for potential disasters. Hurricane Maria taught us the importance of Puerto Rican families having clean water at all times. For this reason, during the post-hurricane response operation, 77,000 water filters were provided around Puerto Rico. We believe that it is necessary to continue with the orientation to communities on better hygiene and sanitation of water. It is also important to continue the distribution of water purification filters, especially in communities that do not use the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewerage Authority.
Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust’s Proyecto Agua Limpia was created after Hurricane Maria through its Brain Trust for Tropical Disease Research Prevention program. It was launched and continued in collaboration with the operators of the more than 200 community aqueducts (Non-PRASAs), community leaders, the Primary Health Centers (330), the Medical Services Corporation CSM IPA-1, and other organizations like H20 Worldwide, KOHLER, OXFAM and EPA. Its mission is to help Puerto Rican citizens across the island prepare for hurricane season by delivering KOHLER Clarity water filters for home use. In this way, PAL is helping to end a cultural dependence on bottled drinking water which is creating an increase in solid waste and filling Puerto Rico landfills. The 30,000 KOHLER Clarity water filters can produce a total of 37,500,000 gallons of drinking water and can prevent the use of 150,000,000 plastic water bottles. The KOHLER® Clarity water filtration system ™ removes up to 99% of bacteria and other contaminants to minimize the spread of leptospirosis, E. coli and cryptosporidium, among other contaminants and diseases that can be found in contaminated water.
In addition to each family receiving their water filter and guidance to install it, information will be collected through a census by the team of this project in order to identify the most pressing needs of the inhabitants and know how they were getting the water before and after Hurricane Maria. Using GIS technology, the PAL team can identify where these filters are being used. The Agua Limpia project also seeks to study in depth the presence of diseases and pollutants and maintain proactivity and educational alliances with communities on the safety of the precious liquid and the right to obtain it. During visits, educational materials on disease prevention will be provided by the Puerto Rico Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).
For more information or to provide a donation to the Agua Limpia (PAL) Project, please visit: https://prsciencetrust.org/proyectoagualimpia/
Contacts
Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust
Lupe Vazquez
787-523-5862
American Red Cross
Iris Medero
(787) 758-8150 ext- 1335
Cell: (202) 674-3617/ 787-669-0233
Website: [email protected]
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About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross provides assistance and emotional support to disaster-affected families; distributes blood and blood products to hospitals around the island; offers training on life-saving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and helps members of the armed forces and their families. The American Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that relies on its volunteers and the generosity of the public to fulfill its mission. For more information, visit cruzrojapr.net or visit us on Facebook under the Red Cross Puerto Rico
About the Science, Technology and Research Trust: The Science, Technology and Research Trust, as described in Public Law 214, is a non-profit organization created in 2004 to boost the participation and creation of jobs of the island in the global knowledge economy by promoting investment and financing of research and development of science and technology. By investing in the research and commercialization of technology, the Trust serves as a catalyst for job creation and retention of highly qualified and often bilingual Island residents. He is also responsible for Puerto Rico’s public policy for science, technology, research and development. For more information: www.prsciencetrust.org.