First Lt. Timothy McCormick, assistant operations officer, Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, drinks freshly-purified water with locals. The water was cleaned with the solar-powered water purification system assembled here, Feb. 16. The system cleans out bacteria and diseases in the water, making it safe for locals to drink.

NAW-ABAD, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Marines with Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade–Afghanistan, assembled a solar-powered water purification system here, Feb. 16, in order to provide the community with clean, drinkable water.

Cpl. David T. Bernabe, a combat engineer with Brigade Headquarters Group, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, opens solar panels on a solar-powered water purification system here, Feb 16. The water purification system can filter 60 gallons of water per minute. (Photo by: Lance Cpl. Franklin E. Mercado)

This is the first time the system is being used outside of Camp Leatherneck, said 1st Lt. Timothy McCormick, the assistant operations officer with BHG.

The system requires little to set up and is very efficient. The water purification system can filter water at a maximum rate of 60 gallons every minute.

Its ability to run with very little effort from the user makes the system simple. Because it is low maintenance and runs on solar energy, the only thing the user needs to do is change filters as they get dirty.

“The simplicity of the system makes this a great opportunity for these people to have clean water,” said McCormick. “The clean water will be rid of most of the bacteria and diseases it [typically] contains.”

Due to the contamination in the water, locals are not drinking as much water as they should, which leads to dehydration, said McCormick.
If the system is successful, it will encourage the usage of the purification system elsewhere, said McCormick.

“We filtered non-potable water through the purification system while it was on Camp Leatherneck,” said Navy Lt. j.g. Jefferson Moody, environmental health officer with MEB–Afghanistan. “The system got rid of most of the bacteria in the water and made it safe to drink.”

“Depending on how well the people are helped by the purification system, consideration will be taken to figure out where else we can set them up,” said McCormick.

DVIDS
Story by: Lance Cpl. Franklin E. Mercado