Water Well Journal

Twitter @WaterWellJournl WWJ December 2017 15 from the U.S. Department of Agricul- ture's Household Water Well Systems Grant program. In 2015, the USDA awarded a $140,000 matching grant to the Water Well Trust to increase potable water availability to rural households in 16 Georgia counties: Colquitt, Elbert, Grady, Hancock, Jefferson, Jones, Macon, Meriwether, Monroe, Murray, Turner, Twiggs, Warren, Washington, Wilcox, and Worth. A total of 27 water wells were drilled or rehabilitated, providing clean drinking water to 65 Georgia residents, including 18 minor children and nine elderly residents. The total cost of the 27 water well projects was $199,753, with additional monies donated by members of the Water Systems Council. USDA grant monies are used to pro- vide long-term, low-interest loans to ap- plicants seeking new or improved water wells. Funding is limited to a maximum of $11,000 per household. Loans have an interest rate of 1% with terms of up to 20 years. The Water Well Trust received another USDA grant in 2016 for water well projects in 19 South Carolina counties (Allendale, Cherokee, Chester- field, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Fairfield, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg), as well as three New York counties (Columbia, Delaware, Rensselaer). Those projects are currently underway. The Water Systems Council estab- lished the Water Well Trust in 2010 to provide clean, sanitary drinking water to Americans who lack access to a reliable water supply. UN and Partners Aim to Slash 90% of Cholera Deaths A task force of United Nations and international partner agencies is gearing up to launch an ambitious new strategy to combat cholera—aiming to reduce deaths by 90% by the year 2030, the UN health agency announced on October 3. With an estimated 95,000 cholera- related deaths and another 2.9 million more people affected annually, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control—a diverse network of more than 50 UN and international agencies, academic institutions, and others—launched Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030, which pinpoints endemic "hot spots" where predictable cholera out- breaks occur year after year. The Global Roadmap aims to align resources, share best practices, and strengthen partnerships between affected countries, donors, and international agencies. It underscores the need for a coordinated approach to cholera control with country-level planning for early detection and response to outbreaks. Through its implementation, up to 20 affected countries could eliminate cholera by 2030. "Every death from cholera is pre- ventable with the tools available today, including use of the oral cholera vaccine and improved access to basic safe water, sanitation and hygiene as set out in the Roadmap," underscored the World Health Organization chief.

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