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Water of Life
No. 27 November 2011
Too much of a good thing turns deadly
Tragic storms interfere with LWW’s ongoing work in Guatemala
In this issue:
Vision Statement
Boards updated
Last $5,100 grant
Beyond the call
Haiti goal surpassed
Water for Ghana GA
CWUWho:Terpstra
CWU class photos
Water from the rock
Operator praised
Big grant for Solar
Helpers in Peru
QR,Widget — ???
Donors, ‘births’
Press coverage
• In 2011, an average of 1.2 domestic
and 5 international clean water
systems have been installed monthly.
• 60% of active LWW systems are
Standard systems, 18% are RO
systems, 18% are UV systems, and 4%
are listed as Other.
• The number of active LWW clean
water systems increased by 15%
during 2011.
• 52% of all Initiating Partners have
installed more than 1 clean water
system. 33% have installed 5 or
more.
By PHILIP BEISSWENGER
While the need continues for
adequate clean water in Guatemala,
recent storms have shown once again
that excessive water is deadly.
On October 16, Guatemala’s
president, Álvaro Colom, decreed
a month-long “state of calamity”
after a week of rains provoked by
several tropical depressions. Major
roads, including the Pan-American
Highway, were closed because of
hundreds of mudslides.
So far, 40 deaths have been
attributed to landslides and fooding,
with 168,000 houses damaged, 9,600
people left homeless, and countless
crops destroyed. Over 29,618 were
evacuated from their homes, and
14,768 sought refuge in shelters.
MiriamMazariegos, one of two
LWW in-country coordinators,
reports that because of LWW systems
at fre stations in Olintepeque and
Colomba, in the department of
Quetzaltenango, 250 garrafones of
clean water were distributed to food
victims. So far the water systems
that she oversees have worked well
because they use well water.
Claudia Caballeros, Guatemala’s
other in-country coordinator, is
concerned about purifcation systems
that malfunction because of dirt
and mud in water sources. She’s
also worried about the efect that
poor road conditions have on the
mobility of work with teams. The
U.S. Embassy has recommended that
Americans in Guatemala postpone
in-country travel until weather
improves and landslides are cleared.
It’s incredible how much
damage water can do in
Guatemala, especially in deforested,
mountainous areas with poor
infrastructure. In 2005, Hurricane
Stan caused $988 billion in damage
and 1,513 fatalities, most occurring in
landslides near Lake Atitlán. Last May,
Tropical Storm Agatha caused $982
million in damage and 160 fatalities, while
heavy rains in August and September
claimed another 76 lives.
Philip Beisswenger is a PC(USA) mission co-
worker in Guatemala.
This landslide occurred near Philip Beisswenger’s home in
Guatemala.
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actoids
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