N.J. company supplies water purifiers to devastated Philippines
A New Jersey company contracted by the U.S. Marines has sent three solar-powered water-purification systems to the typhoon-ravaged Philippines. The units from WorldWater & Solar Technologies can process 6,000 liters of freshwater or 1,600 liters of salt water a day.
The Marines will carry the MiDAS purifiers by helicopter to Lusain, the main island.
The 4-foot cube machines weighing 600 pounds will provide clean water to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, said Quentin Kelly, company chairman and CEO.
“You’ve seen the people walking through that ugly water. They’re standing in water sometimes,” he said. “It’s fetid, it’s probably salty, it’s maybe left over from the flood surge.”
“Our system can just sit there and pump that water and you can drink it,” he continued. “In one minute, you’ve got clean water.”
The $89,000 MiDAS machines also can charge 100 cell phones and have satellite phones for long-distance calls. They will be sent with all necessary spare parts, including filters that must be changed every three to five weeks.
Kelly expects the military to order more for the Philippines soon. He has sent similar products to Honduras, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and Haiti in times of crisis.
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