Jamaica has been devastated by Hurricane Melissa - one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, a Category 5 hurricane that has caused unprecedented damage. Countless families are now without access to safe drinking water and in urgent need of assistance. Planet Water Foundation quickly mobilized its Disaster Response team to Jamaica to deploy emergency water filtration systems in communities which have been severely impacted by the category 5 hurricane.
Multiple high capacity AquaBlock emergency water filtration systems arrived in Kingston, Jamaica on November 6th, aboard the largest single aid flight to reach the island since Hurricane Melissa made landfall. Each AquaBlock system can produce up to 700 liters of safe drinking water per hour, enough to support up to 6,000 people per system.
These systems are now being deployed by Planet Water Foundation team members together with deployment partner ISRATECH Jamaica in some of the hardest hit communities across the island.
The first system was installed and commissioned in Petersfield High School in Petersfield - which is serving as the only shelter for many residents in the area who lost their homes during the storm. A second system was then installed in Cave in Westmoreland.
Additional systems have been deployed in Unity Elementary School, which is housing people left homeless by hurricane Melissa, Bunkers Hill in Trelawny Parish, Dromilly in the Parish of Trelawny, and Frenchman, Slipe.
In total, six AquaBlock systems are up and running, providing safe water access to communities in Jamaica who are recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. This response is made possible through the generous support of Planet Water Foundation’s corporate partners - BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Hit Promotional Products, MCI (Motor Controls Inc.), PromoCares, Royal Caribbean Group, The Starbucks Foundation, Watts Water Technologies, and Xylem.
Planet Water Foundation’s AquaBlock Emergency Water System provides clean, safe drinking water access when needed most in the wake of emergencies and natural disasters.
