FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2006

Our Continued Support to the Orphanages

We continue to support Jesus Wept, a prison ministry that has orphanages in Costa Rico and India, all lead by Vicki Hawkins.

Vicki will be a principal in all our charitable activities, we greatly value her dedication to make a difference. Her website is http://www.jesusweptministries.com. 

See the difference, see the children.

We will also work with Dr. Todd Stong to bring potable water to small villages.

Dr. Stong's process and views of the subject:

        I have spoken a few times about the Church considering some action with surface water (steams, rivers, lakes), and not be limited to the use of wells which may be more costly and harder to maintain if they require a submerged electric pump (deeper than 21 feet).

        The paper below is from the Centre for Alternative Technology (1997) in the UK. It provides a very nice presentation on the slow sand (SS) filter to include details of construction and a nice graphic.  Recall in the First World, for economic and engineering reasons  we secure 80% of our drinking water from surface sources.   In the DW the people are already culturally accustomed in 50% or more of the places to be using surface water, not wells.  It is no wonder that they too often let free wells fail and return to their old stream or lake for their water.  It should seem logical that where surface water exists and the people are using it that the Church may wish to consider trying some SS filters.   What I have told you in the past is in about 90% agreement with this paper. 

        For example, although water coming from this filter may be safe to drink, having had the bacteria and viruses removed by the active biological layer that forms on the sand surface, I would use low cost household bleach to disinfect rather than the UV lights noted.  Such lights not only require electricity, but they are expensive, not found in the DW,  too easily negated by a film of earth particles that may not be wiped off often, and not able to handle water if it becomes too turbid temporarily.  UV works just fine in the water vending machine outside of Walmarts, or a like set up under your sink, since those machines are fed city water that is already pure when it arrives by pipe.

        Under "Water Source" I would suggest use of my 20 cm white button test to judge if the raw water is clear enough. The paper suggests a lab test but does not offer any turbidity values. Sedimentaion and/or roughing filters before the SS filter may permit use of water that is more murky but after all is said you still need to see if such action meet my white button test.

        The reason this type filter must run continuously is that the algae and good bacteria in the layer on the sand may die if new oxygen laden water is not coming through all of the time.        

        A sand grain size of 0.3mm may work better, providing longer runs without cleaning while still removing the particles. 0.1mm sand grains are too easy to clog.

        In the drawing of this filter, note that the inlet pipe to the filter is lower than the inlet pipe to the storage tank. Thus no water will rise high enough in the inlet pipe to the storage tank since the floating ball in the filter will close off the valve for the incoming water at a point that is lower than the inlet point to the storage tank. 

  See article and Drawings.