Sequoia students helping install purification system: Weeklong trip to Mexico will bring clean water to more than 4,000

Ten Sequoia Union High School District students are seeing what its like this week to live with very little, while helping install a water purification system for those less fortunate than them.

The students, seniors part of Woodside High Schools Green Academy and Redwood High Schools REAL (Redwoods Environmental Academy of Leadership) cohorts, will travel to Redwood Citys sister city, Ciudad Guzman in Mexicos state of Jalisco during Labor Day week. The Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Foundation program H2OpenDoors is donating the SunSpring water purification system, which will ultimately benefit a district of 4,000 of the poorest citizens who receive water from a highly chlorinated and undrinkable city water system.

The four students and teacher from Redwood High and the six students and teacher from Woodside High said they were looking forward to being exposed to a new culture. The students started fundraising last year for the trip and raised about $5,000 through car washes, bake sales, family friends, door-to-door solicitations and other events. For some, its their first time on a plane. Others will be leaving the United States for the first time.

Ive never been out of the country, said Woodside student Keely Camp. Its a great opportunity. Water is a big issue.

This population center currently spends 10 pesos per liter on bottled water each day. That is about 77 cents, or more than $1 million per year, on bottled water. This should be alleviated with the SunSpring, which can purify more than 20,000 liters per day from virtually any contaminated water source, according to Jon Kaufman, the director of the project, who is going on the trip. Kaufman has taken other students on a similar trips to install purification systems in the past, including a trip to Northern Thailand.

It was transformative, he said. One student asked, Im thirsty, is there a drinking fountain? There was a pond infested with E. coli (from which to drink). Theyll be meeting their peers over there and painting a mural with the theme of water education. I hope they come back seeing the world is bigger than what they think.

SunSprings are solar- and wind-powered water purification plants that require no electricity or fuel, and remove all bacteria, viruses and other contaminants using membrane technology. With a design life of over 10 years, they require only one hour of downtime for simple maintenance procedures each month. Manufactured in Rocky Ford, Colorado, by Innovative Water Technologies, the systems are up and running within three hours.

Following the installation, the students will tour the city government, including the metropolitan water company facilities which serve more than 110,000 residents. Mayor Jose Luis Orozco Aldana will hold a water party to celebrate the installation.

During the final three days in Mexico, the students will travel to Guanajuato State and Centro Fox, the international conference complex headed by former Mexican president Vicente Fox.

We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with California high school students in support of H2OpenDoors and Rotary, Fox said in a prepared statement. The world needs to grow global citizens, people of high character who care about the poorest among us.

Original post:
Sequoia students helping install purification system: Weeklong trip to Mexico will bring clean water to more than 4,000