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AquaTower community water filtration systems to be deployed in 30 communities
September 26, 2022 — Planet Water Foundation has announced a collaboration with MetLife Foundation through which the organizations will bring access to clean, safe drinking water to 30 communities across Mexico between 2022 and 2024.
According to the U.N., access to clean drinking water is a pressing issue, with 2 billion people (approximately 26% of the world’s population) lacking safely managed drinking water services in 2020[1]. In addition, 2.3 billion people (approximately 29% of the world’s population) lacked a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at home, which puts them at increased risk of transmittable diseases, including COVID-19[2]. Rates of water poverty are even higher in areas of Mexico, where 57% of people do not have access to a safely managed water source[3].
To provide access to clean, safe drinking water to over 50,000 people in Mexico, Planet Water Foundation will construct 30 AquaTower water filtration systems in communities in Chiapas, Jalisco, Mexico State, Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz. Employees and partners of MetLife Mexico will volunteer their time to help with the construction.
The AquaTowers will be located in public elementary schools – the heart of each community – to provide access to safe water to school children and members of the surrounding communities.
Through the Planet Water Foundation and MetLife Foundation collaboration, each community will receive:
- An AquaTower water filtration system, providing 1,000 liters of clean, safe drinking water per hour, or enough to support the drinking water requirements of up to 1,800 people.
- Handwashing facilities that are integrated into the base of each AquaTower, including liquid soap dispensers.
- Planet Water’s Water-Health & Hygiene education program, which is designed to create a change in behavior, beliefs and knowledge on life-saving hygiene practices.
Alfredo Esparza, President of Fundacion MetLife Mexico, said: “MetLife has a longstanding commitment to building healthy, resilient communities, and we recognize the important role that access to clean water plays in people’s wellbeing. We are proud that MetLife Foundation and volunteers from MetLife Mexico will support Planet Water Foundation’s mission to bring this important resource to communities that need it most.”
“We are looking forward to the impact we will be making in Mexico together with MetLife Foundation over the next 24 months” said Mark Steele, Founder & CEO, Planet Water Foundation. “In particular, we are excited that this partnership gives us the opportunity to expand our reach in Mexico into Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz, where our AquaTower solution will help transform the health and well-being of school children and community members by providing access to clean, safe drinking water.”
The first projects of the partnership were deployed in Jalisco State in La Cal and La Ladera communities.
Planet Water’s AquaTower system employs a three-stage water filtration system and, to date, has been deployed in over 1,500 communities across 15 countries.
About Planet Water Foundation
Planet Water Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on bringing clean water to the world’s most impoverished communities through the installation of community-based water filtration systems and the deployment of hygiene education programs. Planet Water Foundation projects are focused on children, schools, and rural/peri-urban communities across Asia and Latin America. Since 2009, Planet Water has deployed more than 1,600 projects that provide clean water access to more than three million people across 15 countries. For more information, visit www.planet-water.org
About MetLife Foundation
At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to expanding opportunities for low- and moderate-income people around the world. We partner with nonprofit organizations and social enterprises to create financial health solutions and build stronger communities, while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. Our financial health work has reached more than 17.3 million low- and moderate-income individuals in 42 countries. Learn more at MetLife Foundation.
[1] Water, Sanitation and Hygiene | UN-Water (unwater.org).
[2] Handwashing/Hand hygiene | UN-Water (unwater.org).
