Water & Air – Filter Systems News

Hurricane Irene was difficult to escape, even with forced evacuations. From the wide-spread media coverage and weathermen standing in soaked rain jackets by the beach, everyone saw  the hurricane this past weekend. Those on the North Carolina Coast all the way to Vermont experienced extremely severe weather. The hurricane caused massive power outages and flooding all along the eastern seaboard. Many places are still without electricity and running water. North Carolina’s governor, Bev Perdue stated in a press release Tuesday,

“Thousands of North Carolinians are still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene, but we’re all pulling together to get things back to normal. For people who want to help, we’ve established the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.”

Money from the North Carolina Disaster Relief fund will go towards the rebuilding of homes and other volunteer efforts in the state of North Carolina. You can visit the website here: North Carolina Disaster Relief

If you would like to help in other effected cities of the United States, organizations such as the American Red Cross and AMERICARES are also offering assistance. While this hurricane was not as devastating as originally expected, homes still need to be rebuilt and people need your help. The Humane Society is also helping in hard hit areas such as North Carolina and Vermont.  The Director of the Humane Society of North Carolina said today,

“”It takes a couple of days for the animals to really come out of their hiding places. And so, two, three, four days down the road, all of the sudden you find that there’s animals walking through the neighborhood.”

For a complete list of trustworthy nonprofit organizations that are seeking your help, look here:  Hurricane Irene Relief

Instead of focusing on a Water Charity this Tuesday, we chose nonprofit organization Project WET. This organization focuses on water education through reaching out to teachers, community members, children, and parents in the United States and around the world. Project WET achieves this goal through publishing informative water materials in different languages, creating school curriculum for different age groups, and sponsoring trainings around the world. Project WET also organizes community water events such as the Global Water Education Village. This event is held every three years at the World Water Forum, the last one was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The goal of the Global Water Education Village is to discuss local actions in water education that are successful at reaching children.

Project WET is committed to reaching out to audiences around the world and in ushering water education into the twenty-first century.  Most recently, Project WET has teamed up with the National Park Service.  In a press release issued on June 22, 2011, Project WET and the National Park Service announced that they would be collaborating on an educational series titled, “Discover the Waters of Our National Parks.”  This science based program will include hands-on activities, videos, special workshops, online courses, guides and an internet portal. Project WET President, Dennis Nelson stated, “Water connects our national parks to each other and to the people of the United States through the water cycle, making national parks a perfect springboard for educating people about water.” This project is going be launched at select national parks within the next year, so keep a look out at your local park!

Project WET’s website offers lots of links for parents, educators, corporations and museums.  If you want to get involved, there are plenty of avenues for that, too. Of course, you can donate on their secure website in any amount you choose, but you can also choose some more innovative ways as well. For example, you can sponsor a classroom and provide a Water and Sustainability Kit which includes copies of various activity and educational booklets for every child.  If you want to be more hands on, you can train to become a Project WET facilitator. After completing the course, you can deliver workshops to teachers and educators in your area. A great way to get involved in your community for a worthy cause!

So this week, Project WET is our pick for a great water focused organization. If you’re a teacher, parent or just someone interested in making a difference through water education, be sure to check out Project WET!

Instead of asking for gifts like most girls turning nine, Rachel Beckwith only asked that her friends and family donate to Charity: Water so that more children would live to see their fifth birthday. When her own birthday arrived on June 12, she had raised $220 — a very admirable amount, but $80 short of her goal.

Sadly, Rachel was involved in a serious car accident. She spent three days in the hospital before passing away on July 23, 2011,  just a little more than a month after her ninth birthday.

In the days following, thousands of people visited Rachel’s Charity Water Page to donate money to her campaign and leave messages for Rachel and her family. On the page, Rachel wrote about her reason for starting the fundraising campaign:

“On June 12th 2011, I’m turning 9. I found out that millions of people don’t live to see their 5th birthday. And why? Because they didn’t have access to clean, safe water so I’m celebrating my birthday like never before. I’m asking from everyone I know to donate to my campaign instead of gifts for my birthday. Every penny of the money raised will go directly to fund freshwater projects in developing nations. Even better, every dollar is “proved” when the projects are complete, and photos and GPS coordinates are posted using Google Earth. My goal is to raise $300 by my birthday, June 12, 2011. Please consider helping me.”

Though it is sobering to read this message in light of Rachel’s passing, there is much inspiration to be taken from the comments beneath it. Thousands of people have donated, and beside their donations they have left their sympathies and well wishes.

UPDATE: Her initial campaign is now closed. The final donation total was 1,265,823.

Rachel’s mother Samantha posted a message thanking everyone for their donations and kind words:

“I am in awe of the overwhelming love to take my daughters dream and make it a reality. In the face of unexplainable pain you have provided undeniable hope. Thank you for your generosity! I know Rachel is smiling!”

More than $160,000 worth of the donations were raised by Rachel’s church. It was at this church that Charity: Water’s co-founder came to speak, thus inspiring Rachel to start her campaign. Visit Rachel’s Charity: Water for information on how you can help continue the legacy left by 9 year old girl.

For $100, you can provide clean water to one family in need, for a lifetime, through Give Clean Water (GCW) – a California-based, non-profit organization that partners with local community organizations in Fiji to install water filters for families in need of clean water.

The filter – called the “Point One Filter” – attaches to a 5-gallon bucket and removes more than 99.99 percent of bacteria and protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium. It comes with a lifetime, “one-million gallon” guarantee. Prior to each installation, GCW team members gather biographical and demographic information from the families, take photos, and mark each home with a GPS address. They also educate each family on basic hygiene and the importance of drinking and cooking with clean water. Once the filter is installed, GCW sends a follow up team to the homes to answer questions about the proper use and maintenance of the filter. Each home is also given contact information for the local community organization partnered with GCW, in case there are any problems.

Give Clean Water currently works in Fiji, but hopes to expand it’s reach in the coming years. Contrary to popular belief, not all ares of the Fiji Islands are vacation spots. Though the bottled water industry continues to make a profit on Fiji Water, sadly, there are many local residents who die from lack of access to clean water, every day.

Anyone can get involved by spreading the word through social media, sponsoring or participating in upcoming trips, hosting a unique fundraiser, or donating directly through the website.

Help us celebrate #charitytuesday by spreading the word about this unique water charity!

You may have noticed we didn’t have a blog post up Tuesday, but that’s because we were too busy walking. Here at Filters Fast we realize how much we take something as simple as water for granted. Water is so abundant we use it to wash our hands, shower, clean our cars and pets, and even make our lawn greener. But we hardly ever think about how something that’s such a natural part of our lives could be considered scarce in some areas.

That’s why we decided to start our charity, Work and Walk for Water. There are some people in the world who don’t have access to clean water and we want to do something to make sure that’s not a permanent situation for them. You may be asking yourself, how can a small but dynamic company like Filters Fast make a difference? By walking, of course.

Our employee, Dee Ray, is taking a virtual walk to Sendai, Japan, an area hit hard by the recent tsunami and earthquake that is struggling to maintain access to clean drinking water, using the TrekDesk as her path. Dee will spend almost all of her workday walking on a treadmill rather than sitting idly at a desk. The treadmill will log her progress toward her 6,737 mile goal. Each single step brings us closer to helping bring clean water to those parts of the globe that need it. Along the way, Dee will make a few virtual stops at various schools to talk about water issues. Want Dee to visit your school or university? Drop her a line at dee@filtersfast.com.

We encourage all those interested to get involved. Whether you’re part of a charity organization that wants to team up with us, a school that wants to hold a fundraising event, a business that would like to make a corporate donation, or even an individual who wants to donate by sponsoring a mile, there are many options available.
So tighten up your laces and help us reach the finish line.

Abundant Water (AW) is a non-profit organization founded by Australian engineer, and AW project manager, Sunny Forsyth. He realized the need for clean drinking water in rural communities in Laos, a developing country, while working as an Australian Government Youth Ambassador in 2007. He sought advice from Dr. Tony Flynn at the Australian National University, whose research demonstrated that clay-pot filters, made from sustainable materials found everywhere, are a low-cost, innovative and effective way to remove over 95 percent of the pathogens found in unsafe drinking water. In August of 2008, Abundant Water was born. Through the website, Sunny generated support for the project and began the process of making clay-pot filters with local potters.

Donations can be made from within or outside of Australia and they go toward training indigenous potters in Laos and elsewhere to make their own clay-pot water filters. Patrons can donate any amount, but the website suggests purchasing a 2011 Abundant Water Calendar (pictured above) for $15. This can provide training for one potter in Laos, and the calendar will serve as a daily reminder of the people your gift will help.

This #charitytuesday, we call attention to Abundant Water – a non-profit organization based in Australia, helping to bring clean drinking water to the people of Laos, through innovative, long-lasting methods.

Waves 4 Water was founded in 2009 by pro surfer, Jon Rose. On his way to Bali to deliver 10 water filters for what would have been the charity’s first mission, he felt a shake. When he came to shore, he realized that a 7.6 magnitude earthquake had hit the city of Sumatra, and he made his way through the crumbled buildings to get water filters into the hands of rescue workers to help the country’s wounded victims. It was this experience that solidified the need for Waves 4 Water, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing clean water to impoverished people around the world.

Waves 4 Water teamed up with Hurley International to develop a program called Clean Water Couriers. The concept is both simple and innovative: surfers, in search of waves in third-world countries carry filters with them in their luggage and either connect with local nonprofits in the area or travel to villages to personally set them up. There are two types of filtration systems – a $50 community filter, which will filter up to 200 gallons of water a day for an entire village, and a $25 family use filter system that filters 14 gallons per day. Materials include a plastic bucket (which may be found locally), a ceramic filter, a spigot, and a knife to cut a hole in the bucket.  The ceramic filters will remove a variety of contaminants including bacteria, viruses, cysts and microorganisms that cause waterborne illness.

Anyone can get involved, either by making a direct donation through the Waves 4 Water website, or by buying water filters and traveling with them through the Clean Water Couriers program. Though the program was conceived in the surf community, the opportunity to get involved, by donating or by traveling, is open to all.

Help us spread the word, this #charitytuesday, about Waves 4 Water, by retweeting and/or sharing this post!

This #charitytuesday, we are calling attention to the work of Water for People, a nonprofit organization dedicated to innovative, sustainable clean water solutions in 11 different countries in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Water for People is not just another water charity. The core value that makes this organization unique is sustainability – a drive to create solutions that last.

One of their most innovative solutions lies in a partnership with PlayPumps International and the Case Foundation. PlayPumps are small merry-go-rounds that pump water from underground into a water tank as children spin around on them. The water can then be drawn from a tap directly on the tank.

Water for People also works through local partnerships with government and private organizations, calling on communities to finance their own clean water efforts, and training them to build their own clean water and sanitation systems, so that the projects last beyond those that are normally funded by a one-time monetary grant. This is part of what makes their solutions  sustainable. What’s more, they recently launched an online platform called FLOW (Field Level Operations Watch) that uses mobile phones and GPS to monitor how well water systems in the developing world are functioning. This monitoring system ensures that broken pumps and wells in need of repair are not left untouched – once again ensuring that the projects last well beyond the first drop of clean water that’s produced.

Individuals and organizations can get involved with Water for People by spreading the word through online media, sponsoring fundraising events, shopping the online store or making a donation online.

“When you take water, give water.”

This simple concept is the foundation for the UNICEF Tap Project, founded during World Water Week of 2007, to raise funds for millions of children around the world to gain access to clean water. As we’ve mentioned in several of our posts, millions of people lack access to this basic need. In some nations, women and children must walk more than five miles a day just to collect water for their families. This lengthy process prevents them from other opportunities; children are kept from school, and women are kept from performing other basic, but necessary, domestic duties. Water charities like UNICEF’s Tap Project exist to raise money to support clean water and sanitation solutions in developing countries.

Since World Water Week 2011 is next week (March 20-26), we thought UNICEF’s Tap Project would be the perfect charity to feature on our blog to mark #charitytuesday on twitter. What’s unique about this project is their way of raising money. UNICEF partners with hundreds of restaurants across the U.S., asking patrons to donate $1 each time they order free tap water, during World Water Week. Since it’s inception in 2007, UNICEF Tap Project has raised more than $2.5 million toward clean water solutions.

And this year, UNICEF is teaming up with celebrities on a special “Celebrity Tap Project.” Singers, Rhianna and Taylor Swift along with Selena Gomez, and Entourage actor, Adrian Grenier are bottling tap water from their homes. Each $5 donation made to the UNICEF Celebrity Tap Project will give supporters a chance to win a limited edition Celebrity Tap Pack, featuring one bottle of water from each of these celebrities’ home faucets.

While we don’t normally support bottled water, or the celebrity endorsement of bottled water, this is an interesting way to draw attention to the need for clean water in developing nations. It also conveniently drives home the point that most bottled water is nothing more than tap anyway. Even if it comes from a celebrity, we’re willing to bet that most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between their home tap water and the variety that came out of Taylor Swift’s faucet. Still, we can’t help but applaud these four celebrities, and UNICEF, for their innovative efforts.

This #charitytuesday, we are taking a break from Water Charities to pay tribute to our first ever featured “air charity.” The American Lung Association held their first Fight for Air Climb in Cleveland, this past Saturday, March 5, 2011. Climbers, walkers, runners, firefighters and supporters of the ALA challenged themselves by climbing the 42 flights of stairs in Terminal Tower (804 steps total), in an effort to raise money to support the fight against lung disease. The goal was to raise $80,000 to support lung health, research and advocacy in Northern Ohio. Together they raised over $40,000, and the option to donate is still available on the Cleveland Fight for Air Climb event website.

Fight for Air Climbs are unique events for the ALA, taking place in large towers in cities across the US. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America, and the ALA is dedicated to helping people know what is needed to manage and take control of asthma and other chronic respiratory ailments. We at Filters Fast are dedicated to this cause as well, and know that indoor air quality can be a key factor in the development of chronic lung illness. Take care of yourself by making sure your environment is free from harmful air pollutants. Clean regularly and change your air filters on a consistent basis. You and your family may also want to consider investing in one or several room air purifiers for your home, especially if you suffer from allergies or asthma.

Show your support publicly, by signing up for a Fight for Air Climb in a city near you.