Photo By Maj. Matt Murphy | The Puerto Rico Air National Guard has teamed up with the Foundation for Puerto Rico...... read more read more
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Water is life and the need for clean water in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria is a growing concern for residents in some areas of the island. The Puerto Rico Air National Guard has teamed up with the Foundation for Puerto Rico to provide and set up water filtration devices at risk populations throughout the island.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” said SSgt. Elioscar Padin. “I volunteered on state active duty for this reason. Hoping to help people. It feels awesome.”
Padin is part of the PRANG’s 156th Logistics Readiness Squadron and does materials management. In a prior service he did water purification as his regular duty. On this mission with a handful of other PRANG Airmen, he is visiting elder care homes to teach them how to set up and use the water filters.
“We go step by step,” said Padin as he demonstrates the assembly to the care home staff. “These filters donated by the Foundation for Puerto Rico will purify about 6,000 gallons of water. It cleans five gallons every 15 minutes.”
Residents at the elder care homes were previously boiling the water. Staff at each of the homes visited said boiling so much water presents a safety risk for its residents and it takes so much time.
“The news is constantly talking about bacteria in the water,” said Jesvelyn Villegas, the administrator for the 30-person Pastor Felix Rios Lopez Elderly Home in Ceiba. “Potable water in the city of Ceiba is not safe. It has problems. With this filter, our residents will have peace of mind.”
PRANG teams visited and set up water filtration systems in two other locations that day. The 75-person Francesco Colon Giordani Elderly Home in Ceiba and the 64-person Santiago Fajardo Village Housing for the Elderly apartments in Fajardo.
The PRANG, FEMA and other community partners continue to conduct daily missions to serve the residents of Puerto Rico to provide relief and recovery missions where needed.
| Date Taken: | 10.26.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.27.2017 21:07 |
| Story ID: | 253281 |
| Location: | CAROLINA, PR |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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