Sand-filters: a sustainable answer to potable water issues in Haiti
ACTED uses a large scale bio-mechanic filtration technology in Haiti, in the Lower Artibonite.
Despite considerable water resources in Haiti, only 55% of the households have access to potable water (according to a 2008 UNICEF report). An aggravated erosion of the soils, frequent floods, the absence of sanitation systems, latrines and solid waste management, explain both the shortage in ground water and the pollution of surface waters (rivers, sources, etc). The population, which draws its water from the polluted Artibonite River and its surrounding irrigation canals, in the Lower Artibonite zone, is therefore daily confronted to these issues. In response, ACTED has distributed sand-filters to 1,200 households in the townships of Grande Saline, Desdunes and the 5th Bocozelles section of Saint Marc (since May 2009), with the support of both the European Union and UNICEF. 1,500 additional sand-filters should also be distributed at the end of 2009 in the rural and isolated areas of the Lower Artibonite.
