No free, safe drinking water in Abaco public schools

After a lengthy and ongoing recovery from the crippling blows of hurricane Dorian in 2019 and COVID-19 shortly after, schools are back in full swing across Abaco… but not without their challenges. One of these challenges is that, although schools have running water, that water remains unsafe to drink due to unreliable sources and damage to the infrastructure of the water delivery systems. Aside from the obvious repercussions of dehydration, when children and adolescents don’t drink enough water, this has a detrimental effect on their learning ability, hormone development, and blood flow to the brain.

An urgent waste and water crisis

Sobering fact: The Bahamas generates 2x the regional and 3x the global average of solid waste per person per day. (Kaza et al., 2018)

This is primarily the result of single-use plastic bottles by residents, schools, businesses, and tourism-related activities. Looking specifically at Abaco, there is no recycling facility on the island. The only option for solid waste – including plastics – is for it to be dumped in local landfills, adding to the overwhelming amount of debris that has already piled up from hurricane Dorian. Whether this waste gets buried or burned, it is still contaminating soil and water beyond comprehension.

As we explore the opportunity to help provide free, safe drinking water, the reduction of single-use plastics is crucial.

The solution

We have a 3-phase solution that will not only provide free, safe drinking water to all students and staff at the schools throughout Abaco, but will also drastically reduce the need for single-use plastic water bottles.

1. We will provide in-classroom gravity filters as a temporary solution in the school with the most urgent need.

2. We will install Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) in the largest schools.

3. We will install AWGs in Abaco’s remaining schools.

Immediate action

Patrick J. Bethel High School is the largest school in Abaco. Sadly, in addition to the usual tensions that arise among high school students, the lack of access to free, safe drinking water has led to behavioral issues between students who can’t afford to buy bottled water versus those who can.

In light of this, our immediate priority is to provide this school with in-classroom gravity filters as a temporary solution, providing each class with safe drinking water by filtering the existing tap water. Once the immediate need has been alleviated, these filters will be replaced by an Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG), and the gravity filters will then be sent home with the teachers and administrators to continue supplying safe drinking water to them and their families at home. Since knowledge is power, we’ll also be providing training on how to maintain these simple systems, as well as education on the need to reduce single-use plastics.

At the same time, we’ll start the process of acquiring 14 Tsunami T50 AWGs from Nassau. Initial funds will pay for the release and shipping of these units and then, once the units are in Abaco and as funding is made available, we’ll start the process of installing the units in the schools.

Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) are the solution

Derived from the air, AWGs are a reliable source of safe drinking water. They are energy efficient with numerous environmental benefits, including the elimination of hundreds of thousands of pounds of single-use plastic water bottles from being burned and buried each year, posing incalculable risks to humans, wildlife, and the environment.

AWGs work by extracting water from the humidity in the air. Moist, ambient air is pulled into the unit by fans and a multi-layer air filter removes dust, pollen, and other airborne particles. The air is then drawn through a series of condensing coils where water vapor is cooled down sufficiently to reach the dew point. This converts water vapor into droplets. Water is then extracted and collected into a storage tank and the collected water is purified through a multi-stage filtration system where all the possible impurities and pathogens are removed. At this point, the water is completely pure and safe to drink. What’s more, unlike tap water, it’s chemical free!

Long-term plan

In time, the 4 largest schools in Abaco will each see the addition of a comprehensive Liquid Legacy Water Filtration System. Transitioning these schools to this sizeable system will allow them to dramatically increase the volume of safe drinking water produced. This will give these schools the option to provide safe drinking water to their communities, in addition to their students and staff.

Once implemented, this model will serve as a blueprint for the rest of The Bahamian islands, helping solve the long-term struggle to provide safe drinking water on remote islands.

Disaster preparedness

In addition to providing students with free, safe drinking water, the AWG units will be incorporated into an island-wide Disaster Preparedness Plan. The goal is for these systems to provide the community with safe drinking water in the event of a disaster without the need for single-use plastic water bottles, and installations will be done with this plan in mind.

This is huge. These units will be able to provide safe drinking water to thousands in the wake of a disaster.