This project will distribute tabletop water filters to 1,000 families in installed upland water projects in the Philippines. The tabletop water filter will purify the water of bacteria, parasites, and turbidity, ensuring these families of clean and safe drinking water. It will help to prevent diseases like diarrhea, cholera, parasites, and other waterborne diseases.
According to a recent Unicef study, 780 million people worldwide do not have access to clean, potable water; every 2 minutes, a child dies of preventable waterborne diseases. According to the WHO, 1 out of 10 Filipinos cannot access improved water sources. There are a lot of families who have access but don't know if the water is safe and neither do they treat the water being consumed, leaving them prone to sicknesses. This in turn puts pressure on an already-loaded community healthcare system.
The tabletop water filter is a two-bucket filter, where raw water is placed on the top and filtered through a candle filter to the lower bucket. It purifies 2-4 liters of water per hour, making it safe for immediate consumption. The candle filter can filter 7,000 liters and last between 1.5 to 2 years which can easily be replaced. It is made of diatomaceous earth and removes at least 99.9 % of all bacteria and protozoa, as well as 99% of turbidity.
The project will ensure the water consumed by families is safe and free from contamination, which will help improve the families' overall health and nutrition. It will also help them lower the cost of accessing clean water compared to buying purified or mineral water from the market. Better health from safe drinking water also helps decrease the burden on the community health system, which is primarily inadequate or overwhelmed by preventable sicknesses such as from waterborne diseases.
