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Do you know of any private firms that have several large scale water purification systems that are operating, on a ship and ready to go?? >>Of course not, nor does the US Government

from source: http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Dec/29-174477.html:

"Lieutenant General James T. Conway, Joint Chiefs of Staff director of operations, was at the same briefing, describing the array of military resources that the Pacific Command is sending into the region. Five ships each capable or producing 90,000 gallons (over 340 kiloliters) of fresh water a day are heading to the Bay of Bengal. Two more U.S. ships with the same capability are already in the Indian Ocean and steaming toward the affected region, Conway said."

Or shall we wait for OXFAM to "scale up their drawings"?

Do you know of any private firms that have several large scale water purification systems that are operating, on a ship and ready to go?? >>Of course not, nor does the US Government from source: http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Dec/29-174477.html: "Lieutenant General James T. Conway, Joint Chiefs of Staff director of operations, was at the same briefing, describing the array of military resources that the Pacific Command is sending into the region. Five ships each capable or producing 90,000 gallons (over 340 kiloliters) of fresh water a day are heading to the Bay of Bengal. Two more U.S. ships .....>>>>

Sorry, did not realize you were referring to the onboard capabilities of ships to use water purification systems.

It is hard to respond in an environment like this, because you really DON'T want to be a whiner who said "BUT YOU DIDN'T SAVE THEIR LIVES THE RIGHT WAY." That said:, My criticisms are twofold:
1)Centralized plants that produce water are not NEARLY as as efficient as small purification distilleries that are spread out throughout the region. World Vision has been sinking wells and (consequently) making small purification stills, making the water sources potable, for over 40 years. I had rather have 9,000 ten gallon per day distilleries that people can use themselves than one big plant.
2)The people not geographically near these ships will die, or contract water borne disease, because they cant relocate to the places where the ships are.

The dialogue with you is helpful to me, even if we disagree. It has caused me to realize that I need to make another donation to World Vision, even if I disagree about our government illegaly using our moneys to fund this, rather than encouraging us to support groups that I truly believe will do it better, quicker, and more thoroughly. For that reminder, I thank you.