MC students pitch in to purify water

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Manhattan College Associate Professor Annmarie Flynn and 32 of the school’s chemical engineering students are providing gravity-powered water filtration units to areas of the Philippines ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan. She said the devices purify 500 gallons of water a day and work for at least one year.

The students, who call themselves Engineered Relief, raised $2,500 to purchase 38 water filtration devices and cover the cost to ship them to the Philippines in an effort to assist survivors of the typhoon. 

Ms. Flynn, who chairs the chemical engineering department at Manhattan College, said news images inspired her to spearhead the effort to donate the water filters. “When I saw the photos… I knew the water was going to be contaminated,” she said. “These filters can serve an entire community.”

Ms. Flynn and her students shipped the water filters directly to Manhattan College alumnus Enrique Sola, who is a former student of Ms. Flynn. Today, Mr. Sola is an aid worker based in the Philippines’ capital Manila, but he works in rural areas in the country’s central provinces, where the storm caused the most damage.

Manhattan College will collect additional funds to aid victims of Typhoon Haiyan during a mass on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel of De la Salle and His Brothers, located at 4513 Manhattan College Parkway in Riverdale.

Typhoon Haiyan, Manhattan College, relief, chemical engineering, James Palmer

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