Clean drinking water is something that everyone should be able to access. For many small Delta cities, this is not the reality. With aging pumps and lines, water boils can happen more and more often, and clean drinking water becomes harder to access. The health issues that occur because of unclean drinking water are numerous.

The City of Mound Bayou, Mayor Leighton Aldridge, and C2k Ministries Inc. are changing that for their town.

Within the last month, C2k Ministries Inc. was contacted by The Water Box, a registered 501(c)(3) organization that believes everyone should have access to clean drinking water. The Water Box was founded by Jaden Smith through the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.

After discussing with Mound Bayou Mayor Leighton Aldridge, we knew this would benefit Mound Bayou and the surrounding areas.

The Water Box is a four-stage treatment system that has been designed to address the water safety of communities where the municipal water infrastructure has degraded or been contaminated. Because it is intended to be used by volunteers in the community, the Water Box is simple to operate and maintain. Built from readily available off-the-shelf components, the 3-stage filtration and UV treatment remove the most common mineral and biological contaminants in municipal water, such as lead, arsenic, copper, e-coli, legionella, and many others.

“Infrastructure deterioration is prevalent in rural communities such as Mound Bayou. Water system improvement has a priority focus, and options like Water Box provide much-needed relief as we work to replace and repair the old system in Mound Bayou. Water Box can provide access to clean drinking water as we diligently endeavor to provide citizens of Mound Bayou vital drinking water accommodation,” says Mayor Leighton Aldridge of Mound Bayou, MS.

The fantastic thing is that this costs the city nothing. The Water Box covers all costs.

Jackson, MS, has had water issues for years, and it wasn’t until recently that we saw this come to a head. The Water Box has been active in the Jackson area, installing water boxes and providing clean water where needed. On this trip, we were fortunate enough to have a water box in Mound Bayou, MS.

“We are excited to provide clean, safe drinking water to everyone that needs it. Water is not a luxury. It is necessary to sustain life. Without clean water, health issues and health costs rise. This is one way we can easily prevent that, ” says Phil Schank, President of C2k Ministries Inc.

The Water Box is located at City Hall in Mound Bayou, MS and will be open Tuesday and Saturday from 10am-Noon. Please bring your own water jug to be filled. There is a limit of 3 per household. For more information, please visit cityofmoundbayou.com or c2kministries.org. For more information about The Water Box visit 501cthree.org.