Xylem and Planet Water Foundation extend partnership to provide safe drinking water

US-based water technology company Xylem and non-profit organisation Planet Water Foundation have announced plans to extend their partnership to provide safe drinking water to around half a million people each year.

Under this extended partnership, which started eight years ago to address water access issues in poor communities, Planet Water Foundation will integrate Xylem pump products into all its water filtration and sanitation solutions.

Through the partnership over the last eight years, the two entities have provided drinking water and education to around 400 communities in 12 countries. This translated to supporting to the daily drinking water requirements of almost 500,000 people of water-stressed regions.

This new partnership now extends Xylem’s involvement to 1,100 projects in 13 countries.

Planet Water Foundation founder and CEO Mark Steele said: “Planet Water Foundation installs water filtration solutions in areas that are in critical need of access to clean water – whether a community in a remote, rural area, or the provision of clean, safe drinking water for people in need in the wake of a natural disaster,”

“It is important that our solutions provide a high level of quality and reliability where our products are deployed, and Xylem’s pumps have proven to be world-class. We’re proud to extend our partnership with an innovative, purpose-driven company like Xylem, which provides us with the technology we need to provide clean water access to communities around the world.”

According to a World Water Development report issued in March 2019, an estimated two billion people live in places that experience high water stress.

Under this partnership, Xylem’s electric, petrol, solar and manual pumping solutions will be added to engineering technologies.

In March 2019, the organisations worked together to aid the affected following Cyclone Idai.  Xylem’s employee volunteers installed Aqua Block to provide clean, potable water access to those affected people stationed at the Arboretum Camp in the Chimanimani region.

Last year, Xylem had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE) to improve water security in the country.