Living Waters for the World

LIVING WATERS FOR the World (LWW) is a mission of the Synod of Living Waters. The synod encompasses all of the churches of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUSA) located in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The mission of Living Waters for the World is to train and equip mission groups and others for giving the gift of clean water to communities in need.

Living Waters for the World is seeking to meet a critical need among the poor in the world by installing water purification systems in poor communities. It also develops related educational programs associated with providing clean water. LWW conceives of its mission as a way to address a critical niche in the world's water crisis. Participation in Living Waters for the World's ministry is open to all church denominations and to civic groups. The ministry of providing clean water is a lifechanging activity for many people who participate in the program.

Living Waters for the World was the idea of the Reverend Wil Howie, who had been a psychologist prior to entering the ministry. Called to serve in a church in the Synod of Living Waters, he soon felt led to bring lifesaving “living” waters to people thirsting around the world for clean water. The LWW project began in the early 1990s. The Hunger Network of the Synod of Living Waters adopted it in late 1992. With full synod approval the first project was completed in the spring of 1993 when a purification unit was installed in Reynosa, Mexico.

Living Waters for the World uses a program of church partnerships to locate and install its water purification units. In one of the earliest installations, the Minnesota Valleys Presbytery joined with Occidente Presbytery to install a unit at Sibila in western Guatemala. Roman Catholic, Methodist, and other churches have also participated with mission partners. In addition, Children of the World has helped to install units in India and Haiti. Using mission partners helps the people who will be using the purification units with more than the material good of a clean water unit. It empowers them with a sense of accomplishment and with an opportunity to build a better life for themselves and others.

The water purification system was designed by a group of Presbyterian engineers. It has been installed in over 50 sites in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Honduras, Haiti, Belize, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and India. In 2005 and 2006 the first installations in Africa and new Asian countries were scheduled to take place. The system is designed to purify water in 300-gallon batches. It can be used at clinics, churches, schools, orphanages, or other places where relatively small groups of people gather. Following the great destruction caused in August 2005 by Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, units of the system were deployed to the area as part of the disaster relief. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance installed and operated units providing much needed water.