Group seeks to bring clean water to millions.

2004 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Molly and George Greene have a dream. They hope to bring clean water to 100 million people around the world within 7 years.

Working from an office above an environmental lab in suburban Charleston, South Carolina, their nonprofit Water Missions International has made a substantial start.

About 100 of their water treatment systems are in towns and villages from South America to Africa and Afghanistan serving an estimated 500,000 people. Recently 2 units were en route to Haiti to provide water after the devastating hurricane flooding there.

"It's an unbelievable world out there," Molly Greene says. "Our eyes have been opened to the need for clean water. 1 in 5 people don't have clean water and 25,000 people die every day from waterborne diseases."

The Greenes settled in Charleston in the early 1980s, buying the lab with a handful of workers. After 20 years, General Engineering Laboratories employed about 350 people and was one of the largest single site environmental labs in the nation.

"We got into that business because we felt the Lord was calling us," George Greene said. "We are engineers and we felt it was important we protect the environment."

Then, in 1998, Hurricane Mitch smashed into Central America. The Greenes had connections in Honduras, having visited there. Their Episcopal church had done mission work there as well.