• Contacting all WQA members and others in its databases who are located in affected countries to determine if they can receive donations of products and/or install and operate equipment in place.

• It has a working relationship with Water For People (WFP), an international nonprofit development organization committed to the long-term impact of increased access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation and health. WFP is acting as a liaison with international organizations that specialize in relief work to deliver aid to the tsunami area.

  WFP has offered to find water professionals who can go to help with technical assessments, engineering consulting, water quality evaluation, and other technical assistance. They are also working to find small scale, low-tech water purification and treatment equipment or other systems for the groups that are asking for help.

• It has been in contact with: CARE, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, Lutheran World Relief, Mercy Corps, Direct Relief International, MAP International, Food for the Hungry, and Project CURE. These agencies indicate they would like technical assistance and donations of equipment or water treatment items. The agencies will contact WFP soon asking for technical assistance and items that will help them address the intermediate needs of the victims.

WQA members can visit the WFP Web site - or the above organizations directly - if they want to help with the immediate needs.

WFP has been put in contact with some donors who have chartered two 707 airplanes to ferry supplies to the affected areas. WQA members can donate the equipment and materials needed to treat drinking water, and the association can get It to the affected areas quickly.

Contact WQA at info@wqa.org or 630-505-0160, or visit the WFP Web site at www.waterforpeople.org for more information.