NAIROBI, Kenya – June 29, 2018 – The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Little Sisters of St. Francis (LSOSF), have commissioned the installation of an energy-efficient, high-recovery FILMTEC™ Reverse Osmosis filtration system for the removal of fluoride in drinking water sources at St. Francis Community Hospital and learning institutions. As a result, over 6,000 students, patients, and community members now have access to clean drinking water.

Today, over half of the groundwater sources in Kenya, especially in the Rift Valley region, contain fluoride concentrations above the recommended levels. It is estimated that 20 million Kenyans suffer from teeth and bone fluorosis as a result. In Kenya, sustainable access to safe drinking water is around 60 percent in cities and towns – dropping to as low as 20 percent in the informal settlements where half of the urban population lives. In urban areas, a large population depends on boreholes water that often contains high fluoride levels.

Responding to this local need for residential clean drinking water, Dow and USAID partnered with LSOSF to support this innovative water project. Building on existing work, Dow donated the technology and technical expertise to the project. USAID helped design the project and provided direct infrastructure investments including pipeline expansion, an efficient pumping system and construction of water kiosks to increase water access to the neighbouring community….more here