Water is Life Works to Meet High Demand Following Haiti Earthquake

By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

EDMOND, Oklahoma – Water filtration straws from Edmond-based Water is Life are in high demand following the Haiti earthquake.

Water is Life is a combination of a tube and a straw. It contains iodine crystals and charcoal. Once water is sucked through, the impurities are filtered out, transforming the contaminated water into clean water.  Water is Life is in 27 countries although the immediate focus is on one devastated island nation.

"You can live without a house; you can live without even food," founder Ken Surritte said. "But you and I can't live without water. Water truly is life."

A local foundation is putting together hygiene packets to send to Haiti and wants to include 50,000 Water is Life filtrations straws. They're hoping this little tube of plastic will continue to have an impact long after Haiti is rebuilt.

"The reason why this has such a great application for Haiti is that even a year from now, a person can still be using this," Ken Surritte said. "They'll get three liters of water a day for a year out of one of these filters."

Water is Life has received $16,000 in donations in just two days. Each filter cost $10.