35 Who’s Minding the Planet? HEADLINE HURRICANE ZONE Xylem's Watermark program has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild communities destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. Over 100 employees have built homes in the greater Houston area. describe the unseen struggles of women and children to get water in developing countries. We don't put a box around what our volunteers can do. We want them to be creative. We want them to work with their non-profit partners at a local level, which is great because they can see an immediate impact from what they do. Q: Have there been any Watermark activities related to the 2017 hurricane season? Michael: During the devastating hurricane season of 2017, the Watermark program worked with Mercy Corps to support the residents of Houston, Texas. Mercy Corps is a disaster risk and response organization that traditionally supports areas outside the U.S., but this year they mobilized in Texas to assist with recovery efforts. Collaborating with another non-profit, Team Rubicon, Mercy Corps helped to equip and deploy military veterans for rescue missions in the region to save stranded victims. Also, post-Hurricane Harvey, we have stepped a bit outside of our bounds to ally with Habitat for Humanity. We’re planning to rebuild houses in lower income areas around Houston, where entire communities lost everything during the record flooding. Some may suggest it’s a stretch to consider Habitat for Humanity as a water-related partner for Xylem, but the common thread of our Watermark program is working with people who don't have the resources to provide for themselves…especially those impacted by a water-related natural disaster. I’m proud to announce Watermark will deploy over 100 volunteers to build these houses for Habitat for Humanity throughout the next few months. It's a work assignment, so our teams will leave on Monday, come back on Friday – building houses throughout the week for eight hours a day. With that said, we are also focused on supporting Puerto Rico in its efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Maria. Partnering with Planet Water, we deployed 12 Aqua Towers to provide access to clean water in locations in desperate need. In addition to the Aqua Towers, we've also provided communities there with our Saajhi pumps. These specially designed shuttle pumps can move water without the need for electricity. When continuously stepped on, they draw water from a source, pulling it into a holding tank. That tank uses gravity to feed water through a filter, providing 10,000 liters of clean water on a daily basis. With the current state of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure, rural communities may be without power for months or even longer, so we have to think outside the box to provide clean drinking water. SUPPORT THE WATERMARK PROGRAM We are always looking for new opportunities to partner with water-related nonprofits looking to make a difference in the world. Learn more about Xylem’s Watermark program: xylemwatermark.com xylemwatermark@xyleminc.com The common thread of our program is working with people who don't have the resources to provide for themselves...