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Kelly Nichols
English 301
April 22, 2014
Drinkable water for the world
While third world countries have many issues, the lack of access to safe drinking water may be
the most important. Having safe drinking water should be a basic right, but over a billion people
around the world everyday are unable to reach clean water (Massoud, Al-Abady, Jurdi, &
Nuwayhid, 2010). Countries around the globe have come together over the past three decades,
attempting to find an effective water supply system for Third World countries. However, the
majority of these systems have had little success, and have not proven to be sustainable
(Anthony, 2007). Although other water delivery methods may seem to provide faster relief for
developing countries, water filtration systems may be more effective at producing sustainable
and clean drinking water.
Anthony (2007), a professor at the University of Iowa, reports that the United Nations set a
goal for 2015 to halve the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water
(p.223). The deadline for the goal is approaching rapidly, and the amount of people with access
to safe drinking water has not changed (Anthony, 2007). Unfortunately, the drinking water
shortage continues to cause 10,000 to 15,000 deaths every day and the main issues remain
unsolved (Anthony, 2007). Studies have shown that improving water sanitation access in
neighborhoods and personal households can lead to a reduction in life-threatening diarrhea, and
improved quality of life (Allgood, 2009).
Current water systems focus on short-term solutions and lack long-term sustainability.
Anthony (2007) points out that most countries do not lack water, but rather have issues acquiring
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this water and making it fit for consumption. Communities tend to live near water sources that
nature has provided, but an effective and local sanitation method is needed. Unsuccessful water
systems may fail for many reasons including, the growth of the population, the lack of
continuous resources, and the absence of community based solutions (Anthony, 2007).
In Anthonys (2007) case study of Imphal, India, different types of water systems were
evaluated. Anthony (2007) reports that one of the most popular water delivery systems is the
piped water system that was built in the 1980s. Back when first installed, it greatly improved the
lives of those in Imphal, but now has many issues and leaves the majority of residents without
safe drinking water (Anthony, 2007). The
piped water system works by drawing surface
water underground into reservoirs, where it is
then treated and distributed (Anthony, 2007).
Unfortunately, the piped water system
produces only about 114 liters per capita per
day (LPCD), which is not enough for the
growing population (Anthony, 2007). Also, in order to reach this water, the women of the
village must travel two hours each day for their families needs (Anthony, 2007).
In a study conducted by Wright, Gundry, & Conroy (2004) it was found that contamination
increased during collection and transportation of water. The safety of water declines after
transferring between settings, therefore focusing on local or home drinking water systems would
be ideal in order to reduce the likelihood of contamination (Conroy et al., 2004). Another
common system used is neighborhood ponds, which is water that is maintained by locals of the
community (Anthony, 2007). This system has a large storage capacity, and is more easily
Figure 1. Women transporting water. www.wdm.org.uk
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accessed by locals. Unfortunately, this water was not seen as high quality water, and must be
boiled before consuming (Anthony, 2007).
With the majority of current water systems lacking effective sanitation methods and
community-based solutions, a filtration system should be considered. An local filtration system
has the ability to decrease the number of families that travel to get water, which would in turn
decrease the amount of contaminated water (Wright et al., 2004). Allgood (2009) suggests with
1.8 million children dying from diarrhea each year, giving personal households the ability to
sanitize their own water could possibly reduce this number.
Using community ponds to provide water, filtration systems would be most effective if
installed in personal households. Families then could collect their water close to home, and filter
the water themselves . With a variety of different types of filtration methods, there are important
factors to consider when choosing the right one for third world countries (Landers, 2013). A
filter must be inexpensive to purchase and replace. It should be easy to teach families how to use
it effectively (Landers, 2013). A filter should be powerful enough to kill all concerning bacteria,
and should remain effective for a long period of time (Landers, 2013). All these different
elements play a key role in the overall effectiveness and sustainability of a water filtration
system (Landers, 2013).
One alternative to current water systems is a ceramic filter, called the Madidrop, which can be
used in a household or in the community (Landers, 2013). This filter works by installing silver
and copper into a ceramic pot, which effectively disinfectants any dangerous pathogens
(Landers, 2013). The ceramic is porous which allows the water (about 1-3 liters at a time) to
flow through, but keeps sediment from coming out (Landers, 2013). Depending on water quality,
the filter typically lasts up to two years and can produce about 20 liters per day (Landers, 2013).
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Each filter costs about 5$, but the entire system including a spout, which is not required for use,
is about $25 (Landers, 2013).
As the Madidrop is becoming more popular, more local factories are being built, which
lowers costs and also provides jobs for the locals (Landers, 2013). It is important that those using
the filter are taught how to use it properly for optimum function (Landers, 2013). Unfortunately,
the current Madidrop does not fully take out all the pesticide and pollutants but it effectively
takes out microbial pathogens, which are the most dangerous (Landers, 2013).
At a Ted Global conference in 2009, Michael Pritchard, an engineer and the inventor the of
the Lifesaver bottle, spoke about the water crisis. Pritchard believes that because society focuses
on the bigger statistics, the problem seems far too large to solve. Effectively pointing out, after
30 seconds into his speech, that 13,000 people were currently suffering from diarrhea and 4
children had just died. Individuals feel powerless, so society then leans on the government to
solve the problem. He created the Lifesaver bottle in hope that families in third world countries
would have the power to clean their own water,
rather then be forced to drink contaminated water.
According to Pritchard (2009) the Lifesaver
filters pores are only 15 nanometers, and he
claims that the smallest of viruses cannot go
through. The bottle works by scooping up
contaminated water, then is pumped through the
filter, which Pritchard entertainingly displays to the audience. The filter looks similar to a
reusable water bottle, and can easily be carried anywhere. After 6,000 liters are produced, and
Fig. 2 LifeSaver bottle www.ob.org
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the system is not able to filter the water effectively anymore it will turn off and not allow any
more uses. The filter then can be easily replaced.
Another option that Pritchard created is a jerry can
that uses the same technology as the Lifesaver bottle.
This larger system produces 25,000 liters of water
before replacing, which would be ideal for sharing
between families in a community. The jerry can
system has the ability to be a sustainable solution, if maintained and used properly. This
community-based solution would be more ideal and practical than spending money to build more
piped water systems that still require large amount of travel time, which in turn will continue to
provide contaminated and unsafe drinking water. Pritchard reports that the jerry can filter will
run for about four years, and only costs half a cent a day to run.
One concern of using the Lifesaver bottle would be the costs. Although, it seems fairly cheap,
it may not be for those living in third world countries. According to Pritchard, the UK alone
spends 12 billion dollars on foreign aid. Some of this money is currently funded into ineffective
water systems (Anthony, 2007). If all global aid funds were slowly switched to a better system,
money would not be an issue. Another concern is replacing the filter when it no longer works.
The replacement parts would have to be made easily accessible and fairly cheap in order for a
water filtration system to be a long-term and effective solution.
In his speech, Pritchard, points out that in times of national disaster the United States ships
bottled water across the world. The globe needs to stop focusing on the easiest and most
convenient solutions, and invest in a long-term method that may be able to solve, or drastically
help the water crisis.
Fig. 3 Lifesaver jerry can www.thoumau5.com
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Using the water that is already nearby, and focusing on community solutions, the water crisis
can begin to be figured out. The Lifesaver bottle may not be the answer, but something similar in
its effectiveness may be. This solution will never come about unless the globe starts investing
money towards these solutions, and figuring out what works. The current use of the piped water,
community ponds, and bottled water has already proven to be ineffective as the number of those
with access to safe drinking water has remained the same (Anthony, 2007). If global aid starts
investing in new and effective solutions, filtration systems have the potential to provide safe
drinking water to the entire world and save millions of lives each year.















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References
Allgood, G. (2009). Safe drinking water for the most vulnerable. International Nursing review,
56(3), 273-275.
Anthony, J. (2007). Drinking water for the third world. Journal of American Planning
Association, 73(2), 223-237.
Landers, J. (2013). Ceramic filter, table treat drinking water, inexpensively. Civil Engineering,
83(4), 28-29.
Massoud, M. A., Al-Abady, A., Jurdi, M., & Nuwayhid, I. (2010). The challenges of sustainable
access to safe drinking water in rural areas of developing countries: Case of Zawtar El-
Charkieh, Southern Lebanon. Journal of Environmental Health, 72(10), 24-30.
Pritchard, M. (Speaker). (2009, July). How to make filthy water drinkable [Ted Conference
video]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter
Wright, J., Gundry, S., & Conroy, R. (2004). Household drinking water in developing countries:
A systematic review of microbiological contamination between source and point-of-use.
Tropical Medicine & International Health, 9(1), 106-117.