Water & Air – Filter Systems News

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!

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.

The concept is simple, yet potentially massive: One person, called a droplet donates $5 to the 3 for 5 Foundation. He or she then approaches three friends, educates them about the cause, and asks them to donate $5. Those three droplets go out and each find three more friends and the cycle repeats, until 20 million droplets have banded together in an effort to bring clean water to people in developing nations.

The 3 for 5 Foundation partners with several “nonprofit organizations who have a proven track record of implementing sustainable, on-the-ground, clean water solutions in places of need.” Currently they are partnered with CARE, Lifewater International, Millennium Water Alliance and Water for People.

This #charitytuesday, we bring recognition to the 3 for 5 Foundation. Sign in to donate here; and don’t forget to tell 3 friends by sharing this post on Facebook and Twitter! If we each contribute  just a little, we can make a huge difference.

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.

Ryan Hreljac began raising money for water projects in 1998, at age six. When he found out from his first grade teacher that people in other countries were dying because of the lack of access to clean water, he began doing chores around his house to raise money for well projects. After raising $70, his first well was built in Uganda, just after he turned 7. The Ryan’s Well Foundation was officially formed just two years later in 2001.

This Canadian-registered water charity supports several safe water and sanitation projects through partnership with local, non-governmental organizations and people. Ryan’s Well has helped build over 600 wells and over 700 latrines, bringing safe water and sanitation to more than 700,000 people since its inception. People of all ages are encouraged to get involved by making donations, or hosting a creative fundraiser.

We have chosen to feature Ryan’s Well Foundation for #charitytuesday, because of the uniqueness of Ryan’s story. At only six years old, he had a dream that has since changed the lives of thousands of people. Ryan is an inspiration to anyone wanting to make a difference, whether old or young.

The Ryan’s Well Foundation, along with many others, can be found on our list of water charities. If you know of one that is not on that list, please contact us at selwa@filtersfast.com and let us know.

"Wells 4 Wells - Fighting the Global Water Crisis, One Beer at a Time"

Celebrate World Water Day with beer!

You probably weren’t expecting that, were you? And no … we’re not kidding.

International World Water Day is observed annually on March 22, to raise awareness of the importance of clean water, and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. It began in March of 1993, and has been a success ever since. This year’s theme is “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge,” and organizations around the world are holding events in response to the increasing urbanization affecting the water supplies in poor and developing countries. Bloggers are raising awareness through their posts on the top ways to celebrate World Water Day. Social media fanatics are posting related updates to Facebook and twitter several times an hour. World Water Day is in motion, and this morning, we were at a standstill when it came to writing about it. What sort of unique thing could a blog that posts about water on an almost daily basis have to say about World Water Day?

Well, if you’ve been reading our blog, you may have noticed that we are beer advocates as well. You may recall our post on breweries committed to water conservation. So, when we ran across Wells4Wells, and remembered that it is also #charitytuesday, we had to write about it. As stated on their website, Wells4Wells is “Fighting the Water Crisis one beer at a time.” This Thursday, March 24, fifteen participating cities around the country will host their own happy hour. Bars and restaurants will donate a portion of their sales during these hours toward the construction of a well at a school in Africa, providing clean water for over 1,000 children. The cost to build the well, through the water charity, Drop in the Bucket, is $5500. Those who attend the happy hour and purchase the qualifying specials will be doing so for a good cause. If your city is not included, you can still donate to Wells For Wells online.

World Water Day is officially today, but the Wells4Wells event is on Thursday, March 24, which means you’ll be celebrating a little late. But that’s okay, because every day should be World Water Day, anyway, right?

What are you doing in your own life to raise awareness of the need for clean water in cities around the world, today, and (hopefully) every day?