Location
Ovorhangai aimag, Kharkhorin soum, Mongolia
Community Description
The town of Kharkhorin is a large soum with a population of about 15,000 residents. The town itself consists of three neighborhoods (bags) and there are another five neighborhoods that are in the surrounding countryside.
Kharkhorin Main Hospital Water Purification Project – Mongolia
Kharkhorin is one of Mongolia’s ancient capital cities. It is home to a working monastery (irden zo), as well as giant stone turtles that mark the ancient boundaries of the once magnificent city.
The town of Kharkhorin is located along the Orkhon River. Roughly 100 km up river from the town is a mine that has produced contamination that has eliminated the fish population and heavily mineralized the water of the river.
The Kharkhorin Main Hospital currently accommodates 74 patients, and is staffed by 16 doctors, 36 nurses and 49 other workers.
Depending on the time of year the hospital draws its water from the river and from wells. The river is frozen in the winter.
Safe water is not available in the hospital, and the families of most patients bring fluids from their homes or stores. Giardia and other parasites are present in the well water of the town.
Illustrative of the mineral contamination, it is noted that all of the tea kettles and water boilers at the hospital are caked with sediment and metals.
At the hospital, drinking water for the patients and staff currently comes from a large open pot in the kitchen, which is boiled every morning or as demand requires.
Project Description
This project is to purchase and install a four-filter water purification system to provide safe water for the hospital. The high-capacity filter will produce hot and cold filtered water, and will be installed in a high-traffic area. It will produce water to be used for all of the drinking and cooking needs of the hospital.
The system uses one sediment filter, one pre-carbon filter, one post-carbon and a UF membrane filter.
Kharkhorin Main Hospital Water Purification Project – Mongolia The four filters work together to remove organic and inorganic materials. The filters will clean the water of 99.99% of particles, sediment and heavy medals, cysts, parasites, and pathogenic bacteria, including e coli, cryptosporidium, giardia, and salmonella.
The plumbing and installation will be done by hospital employees. The hospital will pay for the replacement as necessary of the filter stages, and will follow a standardized maintenance schedule.
Trainings on the importance of clean water as well as the maintenance of the system will be conducted.
Project Impact
This project will benefit 175 people at any point in time.
Peace Corps Volunteer Directing Project
Nicholas Swope
Comments
The health and well-being of all patients and staff will be greatly improved through access to clean water.
Dollar Amount of Project
$555.00
Donations Collected to Date
$555.00
Dollar Amount Needed
$0.00 – This project has been fully funded through the generosity of the Elmo Foundation.
We encourage others to continue to donate using the Donate button below, and we will notify Peace Corps Volunteer Nicholas Swope of your donation. Additional funds will be used to fund the next project by Nicholas and/or those of other PCVs in the country of service.
This project has been completed. To see the results, CLICK HERE.