Water Relief Network Responds To Relief Requests In Latin America And The United States

Water Relief Network Responds To Relief Requests In Latin America And The United Sates

The chlorine industry's Water Relief Network was formed with the American Red Cross in 1996 to provide chlorine based materials and restore public health to communities devastated by disasters. Thus it was that the Network swung into action as severe flooding, shortages of safe drinking water and unsanitary health conditions threatened lives in Latin America, the area hardest hit by El Niño's onslaught. Chlorine-based disinfectants and sanitizers were donated to Mexico and also have been provided to assist flood cleanup efforts in Albany, Georgia. Further, in March 1998, the Mexican Red Cross and the Water Relief Network began construction of a drinking water treatment and distribution system in Huixtepec, a mountain village in Mexico.

The Network was mobilized in October 1997 to help abate the water and public health crisis following Hurricane Pauline in Mexico. The hurricane caused shortages of clean, safe drinking water and placed more than one million people at risk for diseases, such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. The Network donated to the Mexican Red Cross 40,000 pounds of calcium hypochlorite, a Chlorine-based water disinfectant used to destroy harmful bacteria in water supplies, and 1,300 five gallon plastic water containers, used to transport safe water to homes.

Technology Update

Chlorine Dioxide: A Promising Disinfectant for Cryptosporidium Inactivation

More water utilities are using chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) as an effective disinfectant for destroying infectious microorganisms in water supplies. Interest in ClO₂ has increased since recent tests indicate that it may inactivate Cryptosporidium, which has been resistant to most chemical disinfectants.

In the United States, chlorine dioxide was first used during the 1940's for removing the unpleasant tastes resulting from chlorine reacting with phenols in the Niagara Falls area. Between 500 and 900 U.S. water treatment facilities -- serving as many as 25 million people -- use chlorine dioxide as a primary or seasonal disinfectant. ClO₂ also is used by several thousand utilities in Europe.

Cryptosporidium Inactivation with Chlorine Dioxide and Chlorine

The effectiveness of ClO₂ for inactivating Cryptosporidium has been demonstrated in numerous studies. Dr. Gordon Finch at the University of Alberta reported that chlorine dioxide, at a concentration of 3.3 mg/L and contact time of 116 minutes, produced greater than 3.22 log inactivation of Cryptosporidium. This result was achieved under laboratory conditions of drinking water disinfection.

In some studies, chlorine dioxide combined with other types of chlorine has been more effective at inactivating Cryptosporidium than applying either disinfectant alone. These results, while subject to confirmation, are promising because they could lead to a relatively inexpensive and simple treatment technique for destroying Cryptosporidium.

Through the Network, donations of chlorine bleach are helping the Mexican Red Cross maintain proper sanitation in nearly 100 health care facilities across Mexico. Mexican Red Cross International Services President Alexandra Rovzar said that the Water Relief Network's donations have helped "contain the outbreaks of cholera reported in several small rural communities" and that the "lives of many children were saved."

Network Responds as Receding Flood Waters Threaten Public Health in Albany, GA

On March 24, 1998, a supply of 4,000 gallons of chlorine bleach was donated to American Red Cross officials in Albany, GA. This shipment is being used to clean and disinfect thousands of residences and well water supplies contaminated by the mud, silt and bacteria carried by recent flood waters. Thoroughly cleaning homes and disinfecting wells is necessary after flooding to prevent potential illnesses caused by waterborne viruses and bacteria in flood waters.

The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) recently issued a warning for certain molds that grow in flood damaged homes because they may be life threatening for infants. In particular, the AAP noted that exposure to spores from a toxin producing mold called Stachybotrys atra has been responsible for at least two dozen deaths since 1994.

The AAP suggests that walls damaged by flooding be cleaned with diluted chlorine bleach. Standard flood cleanup practices as recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross suggest using a solution of 3/4 cup of regular household bleach per gallon of water.

The Water Relief Network and the Mexican Red Cross are working together to provide a sustainable supply of safe drinking water in the Mexican village of Huixtepec. Located approximately 100 miles south of Mexico City, the 8,000 residents of Huixtepec face poor sanitation conditions that expose the population, particularly children and the elderly, to risks from waterborne illnesses such as cholera and typhoid.

The Network is providing the materials to build a gravity fed drinking water treatment and distribution system that includes three miles of vinyl pipe, disinfection chemicals and technical guidance. The system will bring water from a spring outside the village to a holding tank where the water will be treated with Chlorine-based water disinfectants. Following treatment, the water will travel through vinyl pipe directly into the village.

To learn more about the Water Relief Netrk, a free copy of the Network's annual report, First Year Highlights, is available by writing to the Chlorine Chemistry Division of the American Chemistry Council, 1300 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209, or by visiting its Web site at http://c3.org.