Army-Navy Provides Potable Water to Drought Stricken Makah Indian Reservation

NEAH BAY, Wash., Sept. 12 -- The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), the Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) have deployed a team of engineers along with one Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier (EUWP) to Neah Bay where the Makah Indian reservation has nearly run dry. The diesel-powered desalination system will turn seawater into drinking water for the reservation's 18,000 residents.

An Army-Navy water purification unit arrived at the Makah Indian reservation yesterday which will supply 100,000 gallons of potable water per day to the tribe. The reservation has been on a water restriction since they declared an emergency on Aug. 29.

The Indian Health Service contacted Army after learning of TARDEC's role during the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The EUWP was transported to Neah Bay from the Navy Facilities Engineering Service Center at Port Hueneme, California. TARDEC and the Navy Facilities Center is providing logistical and operational support during the EUWP's 30-day deployment to the U.S. Coast Guard Station Neah Bay.

"Using the EUWP technology to aid in state-side humanitarian relief not only supports the near term needs of our citizens but allows the Army to see how the technology works in real world scenarios. It gives us [TARDEC] an opportunity to validate years of R&D desalination efforts," stated Col. Bryan McVeigh, TARDEC Military Deputy.

The EUWP is capable of supplying potable water from virtually any water source, including nuclear, biological and chemical contaminated sources. Originally designed to support large military units during deployment and sustainment operations, the EUWP is now being used for disaster relief. A single EUWP can produce up to 100,000 gallons of potable water per day from seawater or 200,000 gallons of potable water from freshwater.

The unit consists of two separate ISO configured platforms that are compatible with the military's Palletized Load System trucks and most commercial line haul transports. The system uses ultra-filtration to process freshwater and reverse osmosis technology to filter seawater.

The use of large water bladders enables the EUWP to store up to 40,000 gallons of potable water. The self-contained purification system is powered by a 60-kilowatt diesel generator.

TARDEC, part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), is headquartered at the Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Mich. It is the Nation's laboratory for advanced military automotive technology. TARDEC's mission is to research, develop, engineer, leverage and integrate advanced technology into ground systems and support equipment throughout the life cycle. Its technical staff leads research in ground vehicle survivability, mobility, intelligent systems, and maneuver support and sustainment.