From the original article published in French on MINUSTAH’s official website: http://minustah.org/?p=34018
Since early Feburary, an apparatus for treating water by ultra filtration (UF) has been in operation at the Jacmel prison in the Southeast Department. Its installation was funded by the Community Violence Reduction (CVR) Section of MINUSTAH, and implemented by the NGO Life Giving Force (LGF Haiti). The project is part of the program to mitigate against the cholera epidemic in South-East department, and includes the installation of such devices in Multipurpose Centres in seven communities in the South East and in some detention centers in the country.
The Jacmel prison is equipped with a new water filtration system
Photo: UN / MINUSTAH
With a capacity of 20,000 lit ers per day supplying safe clean drinking water for upwards of 5,000 persons, the recently installed UF water treatment system can provide continuous drinking water for both the administrative staff and inmates over the long term, and thus significantly reduce the risk of contamination by waterborne diseases, especially cholera.
All of the beneficiaries are overjoyed. Gesny Jean the Director of the Jacmel prison offered this comment: “It is a useful and important project. To have a water purification station in the prison is a good way to combat the cholera outbreak, some cases had been reported in this prison, causing casualties among the prisoners.” Another source of satisfaction for Mr. Jean is that fact that the project was carried out “in record time.” Indeed, it took only two weeks between the “site evaluation by the technical team of LGF, design configuration, the filter installation and technical training of prison staff.”
As for the prisoners, their relief is evident as they use this precious resource. “The installation of this unit has brought us great relief because up until now we have only received an erratic supply of tablets” – Aquatabs – “to treat tap water,” said one young prisoner.
Equally, LGF Haiti’s ultra filtration water treatment systems were welcomed by those using the community centers in the seven regions in which they were deployed. In operation in these multi purpose centers since November 22, 2011, the LGF 20k UF systems, capable of producing 20,000 lpd of clean drinking water, are powered by solar making them completely autonomous. The construction and fit out of the community centers located in Grand-Gosier, Belle-Anse, Marigot, Cayes-Jacmel, La Vallée, Bainet et Côte- de-Fer were funded by the UN MINUSTAH CVR section for a total of US $1,367,000.
