• GE advanced membrane technologies to provide safe, clean drinking water at over a thousand sites
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan and TREVOSE, PA, June 23, 2008 -- A visionary government program to provide clean drinking water throughout Pakistan will use GE ultrafiltration systems at over a thousand distribution sites. This initiative is expected to improve the lives of over one million people by providing them access to treated water that meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
About two thirds of Pakistan's 169 million people live in rural areas and many do not have access to a consistent supply of safe, clean water. According to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as much as 40 percent of hospital beds in Pakistan are occupied by patients suffering from water related diseases. The Homespring ultrafiltration systems will help safeguard human health by efficiently and cost-effectively removing virtually all bacteria and viruses from various water sources. GE's local partner, Ideal Hydrotech Systems, will be responsible for system installation and operator training during the next 12 months and for the ongoing maintenance of the units.
"We are extremely proud that GE's Homespring systems are part of this incredible endeavor," said Jeff Garwood, President and CEO, GE Water & Process Technologies. "Our water filtration capabilities are enabling Pakistan and other nations to bypass costly infrastructure development to quickly and economically provide clean water for people in remote areas."
"Ideal Hydrotech Systems is very pleased to be working with the Government of Pakistan and the CDWA to bring safe drinking water to the people of our country," said Nehal Saeed, COO of Ideal Hydrotech Systems, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas USA with offices in Dubai and Pakistan. "The Government of Pakistan has entrusted us with the job of building and operating drinking water plants at nearly 1,200 sites in the North West Frontier Province alone -- one for every Union Council or County. We have invested heavily in local resources to meet the needs of the project, including a network of six offices and more than 500 permanent staff. With the continued support of GE, we look forward to working on several similar future projects in Pakistan."
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the majority of water-related health problems are caused by microbial contamination. Homespring's ecomagination-certified ultrafiltration membranes require no chemicals or electricity to filter water through billions of microscopic pores that physically block pathogens from passing into the treated water supply. This is a tremendous benefit for rural communities that can often face power interruptions and significant challenges in reliably transporting and storing large amounts of water treatment chemicals that other systems may require. Homespring can also be paired with GE's reverse osmosis membranes to remove chemical compounds from source water. In remote areas, GE solar panels can provide electrical power, resulting in a complete, self-sufficient water treatment system.
GE Water & Process Technologies is a world leader in water and wastewater treatment and process systems.
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