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ACWA and its members offer condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004. ACWA along with California's water and engineering communities will partake in relief efforts to help rebuild vital water infrastructure in several countries affected by the tsunami.
Campaign & Web Site Established 
The water and engineering community have united to respond to the tsunami crisis through a joint campaign, "California Water Aid." The mission of the campaign is to assist the people and countries affected by the December 26 tsunami in three ways:
- voluntary financial contributions
- people and technical expertise
- equipment and supplies
You can help by making your contribution through California Water Aid. Just go to the new Web site: www.californiawateraid.org. All contributions will go directly to UNICEF Water and Sanitation Fund. See www.californiawateraid.org for more information.
ACWA is prepared to assist with the relief efforts and commends its members who take a role in this important, lifesaving effort. ACWA will wait to hear back from the work group established as to their recommendations on what government relief agencies need in terms of water supplies and resources. ACWA will continue to communicate relief effort plans to its members once they are finalized by the work group and government emergency response agencies.
Background
On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered massive tsunamis that affected several countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, as well as Somalia, Tanzania, and Kenya in East Africa. Aftershocks from the December 26 earthquake continued to occur in the region through January 1 when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred off the west coast of Northern Sumatra. Approximately 225,000 casualties have been reported by government agencies.
Infrastructure Destroyed
The tsunami destroyed the infrastructure of several countries, including water and sanitation systems. Emergency response organizations are quickly responding to a lack of clean drinking water by offering tsunami survivors bottled water and water purifiers, but that is only a short-term solution.
- ACWA Efforts
- Helpful Links
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