Paradise, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. It could be rolling hills, lush valleys or beautiful beaches. For some, paradise could be giant mountains covered in snow or colorful coral reefs teeming with life below a calm, azure sea. But for those living in the third world country of Honduras, paradise is being rescued from the streets of Tegucigalpa, the capital city, and being given a chance at a new life in a community called Nuevo Paraiso.
Nuevo Paraiso or “New Paradise” is a small community project established 12 years ago by Sociedad Amigo de los Ninos in Honduras. Homeless mothers and children are provided with free housing, medical services and education while working on site at micro-enterprises including a brick factory, a plantain chip and jelly factory as well as in agriculture.
Located approximately one hour south of Tegucigalpa, the community of 64 families is situated in a flat-bottomed valley and has a nursery school, kindergarten, elementary and high school. There is a medical clinic that also offers dental services and a community center.
Water now available
What Nuevo Paraiso’s elementary school didn’t have was access to pure, safe drinking water.
Since the community’s inception, Nuevo Paraiso has had serious water issues impacting the health of the community – especially young children. Infants and small children whose immune systems are still developing have been plagued with illness due to parasitic pathogens, coliform bacteria, E. coli and contamination from snakes, mice, frogs and insects that get into the underground cistern water storage facilities.
“When I first arrived at Nuevo Paraiso I took a look around and realized that the water quality was truly terrible,” stated Greg LeBreton, PhD. Environment Consultant with Aquatic Solutions. “The existing water system is poor at best using leaking plastic pipes instead of copper and many of the drinking water lines run through puddles of home waste waters - grey water - discharged directly onto the soil surface. And the underground storage cisterns could only be described as containing bacterial soup.”
Volunteering his expertise to Real Difference, a Canadian not-for-profit organization established 25 years ago to bring medical assistance to the people of Honduras, Greg was responsible for installing a Hallett 13 UV drinking water purification system in the community’s elementary school.
Donated by UV Pure Technologies Inc., the Hallett 13 with patented Crossfire Technology and filter housing system were implemented in November 2002.
“The Real Difference organization relies on individual Canadians and Canadian companies to help solve the very real and sometimes life-threatening problems facing the people of Honduras,” explained Heather Gouin, director, Real Difference.
“Instead of sending drugs to treat the community after they become ill from unsafe water we felt it would be better to tackle the problem head on and provide a solution that would eliminate the pathogens causing disease. We approached UV Pure Technologies because they have the most effective, simple to install and easy to maintain system in the world.”
Improved drinking water technology
Ron Hallett, UV Pure’s Founder and CTO, established UV Pure in 1998 to pursue development and commercialization of improved technology for the disinfection of drinking water using ultraviolet radiation.
After three years of research and development, the company unveiled the Hallett with patented Crossfire Technology, the world’s only self-cleaning, self-monitoring, fail-safe system.
“I invented the system because I want to help prevent people, especially in third world countries, from getting sick or dying because they don’t have access to clean drinking water,” explained Hallett. “With one child dying every three minutes in the world from drinking contaminated water, it’s absolutely critical and our moral obligation to help. Donating a Hallett 13 System to Nuevo Paraiso’s elementary school is our way of making a real difference in the lives of these people.”
Prior to implementation, water testing conducted on the existing water system yielded extremely high levels of coliform bacteria. After installation of the system, testing showed the water was free of pathogens and bacteria and therefore completely safe to drink.
The next step will be to install a chlorination system to provide residual anti-bacterial action in the water – especially water stored in cisterns – creating a multi-barrier approach to water purification.
“Working with UV Pure to ensure the kids in Nuevo Paraiso have access to pure, safe drinking water was a pleasure,” said LeBreton. “They have excellent technology, excellent customer service and were stellar in providing the additional filter housing required for this site. They obviously care and want to help.”
