The first water purification system from America was installed on Monday afternoon in a Sichuan Province quake-hit town thirsty for clean water.

With a daily capacity for purifying 40,000 liters of water, the system thrilled people in Luoshui Town of Shifang City where the 8.0-magnitude quake destroyed the town's two water towers. The damage put the drinking water of more than 40,000 residents and rescuers at risk.

"Since the outbreak of the earthquake, we have been relying on water carried from afar by pumps and watering carts, which shuttle 30 to 40 times a day," said Chen Yuanshou, the local water plant head.

He added the locals dared not to drink from the only motorized-pump well that survived the quake, fearing quake-triggered toxic matter had spoiled the supply.

"Now we feel relieved as we have clean water to drink," Chen said.

The installed system, along with five other water purifiers and key relief materials worth 1 million U.S. dollars, was donated by Samaritan's Purse, an American non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to international relief.

It was the first foreign NGO to airlift relief materials to Sichuan in a chartered Boeing 747.

The aid, including materials to provide temporary housing for 3,400 families, blankets, hygiene kits, basic utilities, baskets and cans to carry clean water, arrived on Saturday in Chengdu along with five support staff.

In Yinghua Town, where another water purifier was to be installed, John Dallmann, a Samaritan's Purse technician, was working with locals to find water sources.

After hours of searching in the woods, Dallmann identified a pond that was available for the water purifier.

Gary Lundstrom, executive vice-president of the organization, said he wanted the group's activities to function as "the other chopstick" in its aid efforts in quake-hit areas.

He likened the municipal leaders and the NGO to "two chopsticks".

"One chopstick can't pick up anything, but two are very good. We would like to be the other chopstick."

Two weeks on from the May 12 quake, aid has continued to flow in from around the world.

According to Ran Jingjun, a Sichuan Civil Affairs Department official, relief materials from more than 40 countries, regions and international organizations had arrived in Sichuan. More was on the way.

"I can't say how deeply I appreciate the prompt aid from our American friends," said local waterworks chief Chen.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2008)