Water supply back to full capacity in typhoon-devastated Tacloban
Nov 18, 2013
International donors, aid agencies and Philippines government get life-saving clean water back on tap.
At least 200,000 people affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippine city of Tacloban and six surrounding districts are now receiving clean water for cooking and drinking, as the first water treatment plant came back to full operating capacity last night.
Since Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines just over a week ago, the water treatment plant for Leyte district was only operating at one-fifth of its normal capacity, leaving survivors of the storm vulnerable to disease and sickness.
Critical negotiations involving UNICEF, the Philippine armed forces and USAID have resulted in an initial emergency supply of fuel from the Philippines military to run the plant for four days, with USAID pledging to maintain the supply of required fuel on an ongoing basis.
"It's critical that we provide at least 15 litres of clean drinking water per day for each individual if we are to prevent diarrhea and other water borne diseases,” said UNICEF Representative in the Philippines Tomoo Hozumi.
“What we have seen today is vital collaboration between government, donors and UN agencies that will literally save lives. Because of these efforts, hundreds of thousands of people will now have sufficient clean water to meet their basic needs for cooking, cleaning and good hygiene.
Full operation of the water treatment plant will restore access to chlorinated water to 30,000 water connections. The increase of volume from 15,000 cubic litres to now 60,000 cubic litres also means shorter queues at public taps.
In the last 48 hours, UNICEF has been trucking and airlifting water and sanitation supplies to Tacloban and other affected areas including Roxas, in an ongoing effort to restore clean water supplies, and reduce the threat of diseases caused by poor sanitation and contaminated water.
The next steps will be to repair water distribution lines and provide water in the harder to reach areas.
More News and Articles
Apr 24, 2024
News
Sustainable drainage solutions: German Start-up transforms urban water management.
Germany boasts a well-established infrastructure for managing rainwater and wastewater, yet many developing countries lack such systems. Addressing this gap, …
Apr 22, 2024
News
HDD tooling that gets the job done
Horizontal directional drilling is a dynamic process that constantly changes and adapts to suit a range of applications across utilities and infrastructure. Operators looking to get the most from their equipment …
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) …