Living Waters for the World (LWW), a mission resource of the Synod of Living Waters of the Presbyterian Church (USA), trains and equips mission teams to share the gift of clean, sustainable water with communities in need. LWW water treatment systems and related educational programs fill a critical niche in the world water crisis - communities with available but contaminated water.

We welcome churches of all denominations and civic organizations to participate with us in this life-changing work. In addition to Presbyterian teams, LWW has trained teams from faith traditions including Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Disciples of Christ, Episcopalian, Assemblies of God and non-denominational, as well as Rotary club teams from throughout the country.

Living Waters for the World was conceived in the early 90's by Wil Howie, a minister who believed that the Synod of Living Waters, of which he is a member, could literally bring life-saving, "living" water to people throughout the world.

Since its inception, LWW has partnered with mission teams to empower local community leaders to install and operate over 750 clean-water systems in major developing areas of the world and in 2005, it expanded its mission to address water quality issues in the Appalachian Region of the United States. On average, one new clean-water system is installed somewhere in the world each week. To learn where Living Waters for the World is active, click on the map.

Developing strong partnerships between trained mission teams and community leaders to install and operate clean water systems and working via those partnerships to lead health, hygiene and spiritual education are the key reasons this mission has succeeded. Empowerment of local communities and their leaders through partnership has created a sustainable global endeavor. Initiating partners commit to a minimum of three years of engagement with their operating partners, and complete four trips to the water system site during that time. The main trip, the installation/education implementation trip, typically lasts seven days and involves five to eight individuals.

Clean Water U, LWW's simulation school, trains volunteers to lead teams to build relationships with in-country partners, help their partners install and sustain the water system, and teach health, hygiene and spiritual education to their communities. Since its inception in 2004, with a single Clean Water U campus in Oxford, MS, demand for courses has increased such that a second Clean Water U was established in Oakhurst, CA in 2009.

The need for clean water is overwhelming. According to the World Health Organization and other sources, over three million people die each year from water-related illnesses, most of them children. To learn more about the world's water crisis, click here.

Living Waters for the World allows the churches and organizations to be directly involved in people's lives in a tangible way; children are being saved from certain illness and deadly complications that come from dirty water. Living Waters for the World and its partners are sharing the water of life and sowing God's word to those who thirst.