Overview

"Water flows through the three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. Water resources, and the essential services they provide, are among the keys to achieving poverty reduction, inclusive growth, public health, food security, lives of dignity for all and long-lasting harmony with Earth’s essential ecosystems."

-Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations, 2007-2016
The United Nations World Water Development Report, 2015: Water for a Sustainable World

The Chlorine Chemistry Foundation® (CCF) promotes chlorine chemistry to improve public health and safety. The CCF works through partnerships to increase access to safe, chlorinated drinking water and chlorine-based surface disinfectants. Additionally, the CCF fosters the exchange of knowledge regarding chlorine applications and handling. Through these activities the CCF aims to improve quality of life and promote sustainable development around the globe.

Access to Safe Water

It is estimated that more than 500,000 children die per year due to diarrheal diseases and 94% of those diseases are attributed to unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation and hygiene. To improve access to safe water, the CCF supports the building of permanent water supply, treatment and distribution systems for small communities in developing countries. With training and support from on-the-ground partners, these systems can be operated and maintained by the local community to provide sustainable access to safe drinking water.

 

Empowering Haitians with Clean Water

The CCF partners with International Action and Haitian Philanthropy to help make safe, chlorinated drinking water a reality for Haitians. This is accomplished by installing community drinking water chlorinators. International Action has helped over 900,000 Haitians gain access to clean, safe water. With the support of the CCF, Haiti-Philanthropy has established a “chlorine bank” in which proceeds from the sale of safe drinking water are used to purchase additional chlorine tablets. The chlorine bank tackles the challenge of procuring a sustainable supply of chlorine tablets, and a system to fund, operate, and maintain both the water supply systems and the chlorinators.

 

Sustainable Water Systems in Honduras

The CCF partners with Engineers Without Borders (Missouri University of Science and Technology chapter) and Water Engineers for the Americas to help provide safe, sustainable, chlorinated drinking water in Honduran communities, which reduces waterborne disease and improves hygiene. Communities become invested in these projects by assisting with both financing and constructing safe water infrastructure.

Emergency Disinfection

During disease epidemics, flooding, or other natural disasters, supplying chlorine based materials enhances access to safe drinking water and enables people to disinfect surfaces to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. The CCF continues a long standing partnership between the chlorine chemistry industry and disaster relief organizations, such as World Vision, to help impacted communities recover from natural disasters and epidemics.

 

Hurricane Disaster Relief

In 2017 hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria damaged homes and communities in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. Working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, World Vision, Water Engineers for the Americas, and Haiti-Philanthropy, the CCF donated tens of thousands of gallons of chlorine bleach and solid chlorine-based disinfectant to many affected communities. These chlorine-based disinfectants enabled those returning to their homes to safely disinfect soiled surfaces that may grow pathogens, and disinfect unsafe drinking water.

 

Ebola Outbreak, Sierra Leone

As the Ebola crisis raged in West Africa in 2014, hundreds of thousands of gallons of donated concentrated chlorine bleach were airlifted to Sierra Leone to assist with surface disinfection against the deadly virus. Medical facilities treating patients with Ebola often had no access to chlorine bleach to properly disinfect surfaces, increasing the spread of virus. The CCF, in partnership with World Vision, coordinated a humanitarian airlift and distribution to over 450 medical facilities in Sierra Leone.

Knowledge Exchange

Enabling the exchange of knowledge is a powerful tool to enhance responses to epidemics, improve the safety of workers, and discover innovative applications of chlorine chemistry that benefit society. The CCF promotes the exchange of knowledge by supporting organizations that disseminate information that enhances public health and safety.

 

Global Network for Pathogen Information

The Global Water Pathogen Project (GWPP) aims to develop a knowledge resource to reduce mortality linked to waterborne pathogens. The CCF’s support of the GWPP helps scientists and students build a database and knowledge platform on pathogen presence, and effective sanitation methods of wastewater, excreta, and other waters. This information is openly accessible and regularly updated to aid in the mission to reduce waterborne pathogens around the globe.

 

World Chlorine Council’s Safety Seminars

The manufacture, transport and use of chlorine necessitates safe handling procedures to ensure the safety of workers and surrounding communities. To reduce the risk of chlorine-related incidents, the CCF supports the World Chlorine Council’s Annual Safety Seminar. In 2017, participants from around the globe gathered in Moscow, Russia to learn best practices and exchange information on the safe handling of chlorine.