Nouvelle Cité Safe Water Project
On January 13th 2012 a group of twelve from First Presbyterian Atlanta visited with our partners in Nouvelle Cité. During our visit, we addressed several of the ongoing water issues. Following the Sunday worship service, an in-home-safe water program was introduced to the community. A group discussion on the importance of safe water was led in Creole by Michael Ritter, CEO of the CDC/Joliver Safe Water for Families Project in Haiti. The chlorination method offered makes relatively clear water (not brown water with excessive sediment) from any source safe without risk of infective contaminants including cholera. This low cost system has gained widespread acceptance in many areas on the mainland of Haiti. Training followed for the ten families who had been chosen by the local priest to be the pilot group. Home visits by members of our group a few days later confirmed both the acceptance of the taste of the treated water as well as an understanding of the use and care of the bucket system. Following the encouraging initial results, additional buckets and supplies of the chlorine solution were obtained for distribution to a new group of families. Large containers of the chlorine solution will be kept in the clinic pharmacy to facilitate refilling of individual bottles. This process will continue with monitoring until every family in Nouvelle Cité will have this point-of-use safe water system in their home.
A water catchment system was has been attached to the Holy Cross Church and School roofs to allow the recently repaired cisterns to be filled during the rainy season. These will serve as a backup to the community well at the Bill Rice Clinic. The well continues to provide water for the Clinic, Church/School, and Agriculture/Goat Project. Unfortunately, the volume and flow from the well has been insufficient to also supply the two original roadside community water stations. The well deficiencies since the 2010 earthquake will need to be addressed in a major project in the future.