Canned Water For Relief

In early January, Can'd Aid partnered with Sleeping Giant Brewing and Good360 to send a full truckload of clean drinking water to the town of Mabton, Washington. Mabton is a town of approximately 2,300 residents in Yakima Conty in Central Washington that is experiencing an ongoing water crisis. According to our on-the-ground-contact at the Washington State Dept. of Commerce: 

"The City has several wells that are relatively deep. Unfortunately, they are in an area of the state that has naturally occurring Hydrogen Sulfide and sometimes Methane. They have an aeration treatment processes for removing the Hydrogen Sulfide, but during this time of the year and with the drought they have faced this particular year, they have experienced two months of challenges where the treatment process cannot keep up. So, they have water that smells horrible, taste bad, and to add to it, is discolored from what appears to be Iron and Manganese issues. Though they have not exceeded any regulated primary contaminants (Safe Drinking Water Act), in public meetings we have heard of complaints beyond taste and odor, of rashes and gastrointestinal issues occurring. The community has around 600 connections and a population around 2300 and the population is financially distressed. The town has drilled a new well using CDBG grants, but Office of Drinking Water Engineers estimate it will not be approved for service until sometime between December and February. The goal right now is identifying available water for the interim, as the consultants and contractors evaluate short-term operational adjustments, and getting the new well construction finished, tested, and online."

This water was available to Mabton residents through distribution events at City Hall, a local food bank, and through delivery service for those who are elderly, disabled, etc. Though this is not a long-term solution to the community's water problems, this provides critical support in the interim.