Water Missions International, a Charleston-based company that, according to its Web site, serves "the water and sanitation needs of people in developing countries and disaster areas," is helping out in China and Myanmar after recent disasters in each of those countries.

Live 5 News reported today that the nonprofit organization just sent six water purifications to China to help communities struggling after an earthquake that left more than 65,000 dead and many more homeless and without clean water. Live 5 continues:

"These systems will be used to provide safe, clean water for two complete communities," said (Water Missions International's Jerry) Miner.

Water Mission(s) International engineers will meet those systems when they arrive in China and have them up and running in no time.

"Once we get in the area it only takes between two and four hours to set one of these systems up," said Miner.

The Post and Courier reported earlier this month that the company was sending 20 water purification systems to Myanmar after a tropical cyclone devastated much of the country.

The Myanmar project was held up when the governing junta there blocked international aid into the country, but a WMI press release from May 14 indicates that the project moved ahead after a short delay.

The initial Post and Courier story talked about what WMI's water filtration systems can provide: "Each water system treats up to 10 gallons of water per minute, approximately 10,000 gallons per day, and supports communities of up to 3,000 people."

According to a News 2 article on the Myanmar relief effort, it takes about $20,000 to make and ship each water filtration system.