Hydration Technologies' Life-Sustaining Water Filtration Bags Deployed To Hurricane Katrina Victims

Business Wire,  Sept 14, 2005  

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ALBANY, Ore. -- With thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims still in need of clean drinking water, Hydration Technologies Inc. (HTI) is providing emergency water filtration bags that turn muddy, contaminated waters into clean, potable drink. Over the past 10 days, the company has deployed nearly 25,000 of its X-Pack(TM) systems to U.S. military centers responding to the Gulf Coast disaster. E[acute accent]Used by the military in Iraq, Afghanistan and in water-deprived areas of Africa, HTI's X-Pack provides a portable, life-sustaining source of clean drink at a time when a lack of clean water poses the biggest health threat to hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi. The unit uses a revolutionary membrane process that turns all types of contaminated water into a nutrient-filled drink. Each X-Pack provides a 10-day supply of water for a person, while weighing just six percent of the equivalent amount of bottled water. No pumps or mechanisms are needed. E[acute accent]"The beauty of the X-Pack is that it works with virtually any water, anywhere - it is a life-saving advantage when planning for and responding to natural disasters like Katrina," said Bob Salter, president of HTI. "In times of emergency, access to clean drinking water is often one of the biggest logistical problems - and transporting bottled water is a cumbersome, costly endeavor. With the X-Pack, first-responders and victims can generate drinkable fluids until a longer-term water solution is in place." E[acute accent]HTI's military products are currently available to consumers at www.hydrationtech.com. A lower-priced consumer version is slated for nationwide release in the first quarter of 2006. Like batteries, flashlights, first-aid supplies and canned foods, the X-Pack is an essential component of a home preparedness kit, providing a compact, lightweight source of hydration that is far easier to store and transport than bottled water. E[acute accent]Retired Major General Lou Hennies, senior military advisor to HTI, noted, "As we have seen with Hurricane Katrina, natural disasters bring unanticipated challenges. Preparing to deal with these challenges is something every family should do. One of the biggest steps towards emergency preparedness is having a personal emergency hydration system such as the X-Pack available - it boosts self-sufficiency and health, and also lightens the load on emergency response teams." E[acute accent]X-Pack technology uses a proprietary forward-osmosis membrane to convert dirty water into pure drink without pumping, mechanical parts or purifying chemicals. Unlike other filtration techniques, HTI's purification process requires no external pressure, which means that the system won't clog, even in the highly turbid water conditions created by the hurricane. E[acute accent]In addition, the system provides vital salts and sugars that help treat dysentery, diarrhea and other symptoms of dehydration. This is due to the system's oral rehydration syrup, which creates the osmotic pressure required to drive the filtration process. E[acute accent]This is the second time HTI's X-Pack has been deployed in a natural disaster crisis. Earlier this year, HTI donated over 4,000 X-Pack units - worth nearly a quarter of a million dollars - in response the tsunami disaster in South Asia.

E[acute accent]About Hydration Technologies

E[acute accent]Hydration Technologies (HTI) is the world-leading forward-osmosis membrane company. With over fifteen years of research, the scientists at HTI have developed the world's first commercially viable forward-osmosis products. This membrane has been used by NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, many branches of the U.S. military and is now available to the public. HTI is headquartered in Albany, Oregon and can be reached at (541) 917-3335. The company's Web site is www.hydrationtech.com.

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