Continuing Our Mission

The Pure Water Access Project has been hard at work expanding our contacts and continuing to raise funds for our first field study on the Tulip Water Filter. In order to help achieve our dream of solving the water crisis we have teamed up with Global Water. Global Water is an international, non-profit organization who shares our vision of a world without thirst, and we are very excited about working with them. The water crisis is a problem that will only be solved with widespread cooperation across all levels of involvement, including you. If you have any comments, questions, or general suggestions, please feel free to contact us. You can make an impact in this crisis. Donations can be made at our website.

The Return of the Blog

Hello again, followers. Summer is over and Pure Water Access Project has been hard at work pursuing opportunities to conduct our first field studies. We are thrilled to announce that we will be traveling to Nicaragua in spring of 2012 to carry out a study of the Tulip Water Filter! To read more about the Tulip Water Filter, please visit our website. In addition to the Nicaragua project, we have been working to help create student organizations at high schools in Cleveland and Columbus that are focused on the water crisis. These organizations are a great way for high school students to learn about not only the water crisis, but also the functioning of non-profit organizations, public health, and research before they even begin their college careers. These are only a few of the projects that we are working on right now, and there is a lot of effort being put in by everyone here at PWAP. Needless to say, we are really excited about the direction that PWAP is going.

But we are only getting started, and we need your help to fight the water crisis. Donations are very much appreciated, tax deductible, and utilized in this manner. Please consider being a part of something bigger and making a donation before you are done visiting the website, every dollar makes a difference. 

The Impact of Lack of Access to Safe Drinking Water

Thanks to the tireless efforts of organizations and advocates throughout the world, like the ones mentioned in our previous blog post, the water crisis has risen to the forefront of the human rights platform in recent years. At times, it may be hard for us to truly appreciate the plight facing nearly one billion people world-wide, and what conditions these individuals are forced to live in as a result of poor water sanitation. However the effects of this lack of safe drinking water can not be understated. 

From a health perspective, the numbers are staggering. Microbiological contamination in drinking water leads to widespread disease, most commonly diarrheal disease. 1.8 million people, 1.5 million of which are children, die a year as a result of such diarrheal disease. 43% of the global population is deprived of household safe piped water, with the majority of these being in sub-Saharan Africa. In these areas, the constant threat of water-borne disease combined with the large population of HIV infected individuals is a recipe for disaster. These immunocompromised people cannot afford to be deprived of access to safe drinking water. Affordable, reliable, and practical filtration systems would make drastic improvements to these regions, something that is absolutely imperative and the ultimate goal of Pure Water Access Project. Studies have shown that household water-quality interventions can reduce diarrheal morbidity by 40%

The education systems and economies of these impoverished areas have been affected as a result of these health-related issues as well. It is estimated that  443 million school days are lost each year from diarrheal disease as a result of water-borne illness. The amount of time that would be saved by not having to search out “clean” sources of drinking water would be utilized in a variety of ways, including work and education.

§  While there are many current models for filtration of contaminated water, most of these models are too expensive or impractical for the impoverished areas in which they would need to be implemented. Research has shown that point-of-use household intervention is twice as effective as point-of-source intervention in preventing diarrheal disease. Many of the established purification techniques, such as ceramic filters, bio sand filters, and chlorination, fail to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's protocol for removal of bacteria/viral particles/protozoan organisms in many instances.   A multi-purpose purification system that meets all of the necessary criteria must be developed and implemented on a wide scale to combat this water crisis. Clean water is a basic human right, and it our responsibility to ensure that right is afforded to the global population.

United Nations - Water For Life

As you may or may not be aware of, the United Nations is currently hosting a three day conference in Bonn, Germany. This Media Forum is designed to bring together members of the media and activists/experts on water management, while focusing on the basic human right to water and sanitation. As  outlined in previous blog posts, the issue of access to clean water is widespread and measures must be taken at every level of organization, from the international community on down to local volunteer organizations. This current conference is organized by various international organizations such as The UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC) UN-Habitat, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). 


These groups are doing their part to combat the water crisis, but they are not alone. The most intriguing group dedicated to the cause is a novel panel of former world leaders that has come into existence just this past month. Members of the InterAction Council, who meet annually in Quebec, agreed to form a panel dedicated to fighting what Former President Bill Clinton called an "impending water crisis." This group, which features former leaders of state from Mexico, Japan, USA, Kenya, Austria, and more, is unique in that their prominence in the international political community should afford them more credibility and leverage in implementing initiatives.


Here at Pure Water Access Project, we continue to research effective, reliable, and affordable means of water filtration to implement in developing regions throughout the world. We will continue to update this blog frequently with out progress, as well as other relevant insights into the growing water crisis. 

Cholera's Role in the Water Crisis

The water crisis is detrimental for a multitude of reasons, not least of which is the spread of disease. While the most glaring water-related problem facing underdeveloped nations is the availability of clean drinking water, sanitation and the rapid spread of diseases such as cholera is just as significant. This concern is catapulted to the forefront of discussions in lieu of a natural disaster or event such as the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti just last year. Since then, Haiti has been struck with a Cholera outbreak that has claimed over 5,000 lives. The causes for this outbreak are variable, but the main reason seems to be the lack of sanitation in the country and the failure of U.N. representatives in controlling fecal matter contamination. Humanitarian groups say they are promoting hygiene and educating the capital’s populace about cholera, which can spread easily through contaminated water and food. Cholera is a bacterial infection of the small intestine, and it is one of the most prevalent diseases throughout the world. The ease with which the bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, remains viable in contaminated water, increases its virulence drastically and directly correlates an outbreak of the disease with poor water sanitation conditions. 


While Haiti as been cited as an example here, Cholera poses a constant threat to any under-developed region in any part of the world. In our modern world, with the technology and resources available to us, the seemingly constant loss of so many human lives is inexcusable. It necessitates a swift course of action, and the World Health Organization continues to develop strategies to prevent Cholera outbreaks. According to its website, WHO states that "prevention and preparedness of cholera require a coordinated multidisciplinary approach." While WHO continues to focus on recognizing risk factors for prevention of the disease, it is the role of organizations such as Pure Water Access Project to continue to research effective means of filtering water in order to eliminate cholera and other water-borne diseases. T

What is the Water Crisis?

The water crisis is a general term referring to the lack of availability of clean water as well as access to improved sanitation. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a problem that is localized to one region or even one continent of the world. The water crisis is a world-wide issue, affecting billions of human beings in many different areas of the country. It is estimated that almost 900 million people lack availability of clean drinking water, and nearly 2.5 billion individuals lack access to improved sanitation. While there are many research projects that have addressed potential ways to help alleviate water pollution, more work needs to be done and awareness has to be raised. This blog is intended to both raise awareness of the many issues associated with the water crisis as well as providing updates on our work here at Pure Water Access Project. Please continue to check back frequently, as well as following us on twitter at @ThePWAP.

Update

Hello all, thanks for checking out our blog. Be sure to check back later today for a post that will provide a brief overview of the water crisis.