Over the last couple of days I have been working away from the team installing a water filtration systems at both Grace Village and the Healing Haiti Guesthouse. The systems were ship in by container late last year and I had little idea of what I had committed too. The moment my uncle Jeff posted about needing help installing the system, I thought it might be a sign for me to go, and when I asked my wife, she already had the answer before I asked the question. I knew it was a sign from God.

Prior to coming down, Jeff and I met with ECOsmarte to discuss what parts I needed to bring with, how I would plumb the system and to get special instruction to better understand the system. It seemed like a simple task, everything was to be plumbed in PVC, the parts were purchased based off a list from the manufacture but Jeff warned about the Haiti factor...The second day of our trip Jeff, Jean, and I drove up to Grace Village in the morning and dug the system out of the containers and separated what went to each location. Unfortunately we could not find one of the boxes for the guesthouse. 

By mid day we had returned to Port-Au-Prince and I was dropped off at the guest house to start on the system. I started to tie in the lines for a bypass for the system. When the the rest of the team arrived I joined them at Mother Teresa's for the afternoon. Arriving back at the guesthouse after dinner I continued to plumb the system. Over the next day or two I took my spare time in the evenings to work on the system at the guesthouse... that system installed fairly easily minus the missing box. Jean eventually found the missing box and on Friday night we backwashed the system and put it on line. 

We visited Grace Village Thursday, and Friday afternoons/evenings. It was during these times that I worked on the system at Grace Village. Here, I had a few helpers who insisted on doing the work while I managed the project. Brunet, Junior, Maximum, and Wilson all took their turns using my sawsall to cut pipe. Jonas and Tomas went to town gluing and assembling the pipe, while I directed were the shutoff valves, elbows, and fittings went. On Friday morning, Tomas installed the electrical outlets while I went to visit the elderly. In the afternoon we filled the tanks with media and water, then attempted to chase down and replace the few joints that were leaking. 

Unfortunately we were unable to finish the system before my scheduled departure on Saturday. After little thought, knowing the system was not finished, and wanting to see it through I changed my flight Friday night to allow for more time to finish the system at Grace Village. Saturday I spent the morning doing more runs on the water truck and Tomas and I finished replacing parts Saturday night.

It was quite a day yesterday on the water truck. Jim or I were the ones who were always on the hose, people kept always trying to budge. Junior took charge ordering what buckets were not in line. It was intense, and I got to even throw a bucket while fighting for justice. I was so impressed and felt special that one little boy and girl from our stops on Tuesday still remembered my face and my name.

Back to the water filter system, Sunday we went up to Grace Village early in the morning for Church, after Church I went to inspect the system, and put it online. I also gave instructions to the staff on how to work the systems and how they will need to care for them. While the water is technically now filtered at both the guest house and Grace Village, Jean would like to test the water and clean the header tanks before people start drinking the water. 

Peter Demuth

Healing Haiti Team Member