OCNWTR exists to help the marginalized coastal communities of the 108 countries with direct ocean access receive their drinking water from the ocean at a price point of zero with a decentralized desalination system which secures their long-term water rights. We install each ocean-based system through establishing a new local church revolving mostly around food, the Bible, the Holy Spirit & relationships. 

In 2010, Ryan Delamater rode his bicycle over 16,000 kilometers thru 10 countries from Canada to Colombia. As he traveled, he learned that people didn’t have clean drinking water in certain parts of the world. In 2015 he adopts the village of El Palmar in El Salvador. Over the next 7 years from 2015-2022 he has taken over 200 people on 17 different trips to discover how to best solve this problem. During this time OCNWTR utilized 3 different platforms to help provide a permanent solution. They delivered point of use water buckets to over 500 homes, built a solar powered decentralized desalination system that was capable of providing 300 gallons a day & have now partnered with Source Water and their hydro panels that produce unlimited water from sunlight and air.

They now have a water system in El Salvador along with 4 coffee shop churches in California. Each of their coffee shop churches in California take responsibility to go on a trip to install a system and begin a new OCNWTR church. This approach has enabled them to expand to Argentina, Indonesia, & Bangladesh this year.

Listen to Episode 21 of the podcast and access the show notes below.

(1) The North American Church Planting funding model doesn’t work for areas that need water. 

Due to economic reasons, the modern church planting model found in America doesn’t work for areas that desperately need water systems in place. So as a result, Ryan left his job at Saddleback Church to create water systems in areas that desperately need clean drinking water and while at it, also starts churches in these areas to combine the ministry with the spiritual goal. 

(2) How state-side churches can sponsor water projects across the world.   

Ryan and a few buddies started a church that now has led to over 20 churches that help sponsor water projects around the world. So as these churches grow, more water projects across the world can be supported and in turn, those churches can also grow both locally and globally. 

(3) The new technology for water projects today.  

After meeting with a Materials Scientist at MIT, Ryan found a company that makes panels that convert sunlight and air into drinking water. With a Beta Test done on a pasters house for six months, they found that this technology works incredibly for what they’re trying to do and it is way more cost-effective than doing the salinization work of cleaning the existing water in these areas.

They are in the process of raising capital for the various water projects they are working on right now. Each project costs $50,000 and provides continual clean water to 40-60 people in a renewable way.

ocnwtr.com

“What development pathways are in the church today? I see a lot of what I do as making ministry and church planting a lot more accessible for people who love God and want to go make disciples. The world is changing, and we need a lot of innovation so that we can attract young people to pursue ministry.”

“Churches that had a few to 40 people can be very easy to multiply as they can adopt another place in the world. They can function independently from a lot of bureaucracy and in the process, help people get clean water and living water.”