Improving Access to Clean and Safe Drinking Water During Emergencies

This alliance will pre-position Procter & Gamble’s PŪR® Purifier of Water among disaster management authorities, improving access to PŪR® during emergencies to ensure clean and safe drinking water. PŪR® is a household water-treatment product that when used, kills bacteria and viruses and removes parasites, dirt and pollutants from water, making it safe to drink. It has been successfully used in disasters when water access is cut off, and authorities cannot deliver safe bottled water. PŪR® allows families to treat and clean their own water and keep themselves healthy. Dr. Greg Allgood, Director of the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program says that “safe and clean drinking water are one of the most important needs after disasters such as flooding, hurricanes and earthquakes; access to safe and clean water saves lives. In order to ensure that safe water is available, disaster management authorities need to have plans to provide access to clean water before disasters strike.”

The alliance will bring approximately $250,000 in resources from USAID and Procter & Gamble’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program to fund PŪR® product and training and pre-positioning activities in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras. Partner Catholic Relief Services will implement alliance activities in partnership with USAID and Procter & Gamble.

On March 22, 2010—United Nations World Water Day—USAID's 4^th Sector Health launched its partnership with P&G's Children's Safe Drinking Water Program and Catholic Relief Services. Want to learn more about the Alliance's participation in United Nations World Water Day? Read the full story and check out photos here.