Pending approval of water‑quality tests by environmental regulators, Samaritan’s Purse will distribute safe drinking water at Sugar Dock in Chalan Kanoa, where the organization has set up an emergency filling station using advanced desalination systems.
Brent Kejr, a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) technical adviser and manager of emergency water response for the organization, said the team arrived aboard the first Samaritan’s Purse 767 relief flight carrying specialized water‑treatment equipment.
“We brought on with us on the first 767 flight two community-size emergency desalination water treatment systems,” Kejr said. “What it can do is it can take seawater and remove the salt and make it fresh drinking water.”
Each unit can produce about seven gallons per minute of potable water. Two systems are currently operating, while a third is being commissioned to bring it from storage condition into “ready to make water” status.
Residents will be able to collect water at the filling station using collapsible 10‑liter jerry cans provided free of charge. Families may also bring their own containers and return for refills as needed. Kejr said no strict per‑household limit has been set.
“We’re here to meet the water needs on the island. If we need to staff this 24 hours a day and keep making water, we will,” he said. “We’re going to meet the need and work with the CUC, making sure we can get coverage out to the areas that don’t have access right now.”
Samaritan’s Purse plans to relocate one of the desalination units to another site once commissioning is complete to expand access to more communities.
Environmental oversight is underway. Kejr said the Environmental Protection Agency and local environmental authorities, including the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, are coordinating closely. The Joint Information Center is managing public updates on distribution hours and procedures.
Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian humanitarian organization based in Boone, N.C., that provides emergency relief and long‑term assistance to communities affected by disasters, conflict and poverty. Founded in 1970 and led by Franklin Graham since 1979, the organization responds worldwide with medical teams, shelter support, clean‑water systems, food assistance and other critical services. It is known for rapid deployment of specialized disaster‑response units, including mobile hospitals and emergency water‑treatment systems.
As Saipan works to restore essential services, the emergency desalination systems are expected to provide a critical source of safe drinking water for families still without reliable access
