Water Filtration: Life Straw
WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM: Life Straw
Our Rotary club’s water filtration program involves funding for the purchase and maintenance of portable water filtration system, primarily for rural, underprivileged schools in Kenya. The filtration systems we finance through this program are primarily Community LifeStraws, which can clean between 70,000 and 100,000 liters of water, providing safe drinking water for up to 70 people for 3 ½ years. Community LifeStraws cost an average of $290, and their useful life can be extended with new membrane costing average of $90.
The need for these filtration systems is tremendous. 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die every year from diseases associated with unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Lack of access to safe drinking water contributes to the staggering burden of diarrhea diseases worldwide, particularly affecting the young, the immuno-compromised and the poor. Nearly one in five child deaths – about 1.5 million each year – is due to diarrhea.
Approximately 43% of the global population, especially the lower-income populace in the remote and rural parts of the developing world, is deprived of household safe piped water. “Point-of-use” treatment is an alternative approach, which can accelerate the health gains associated with the provision of safe drinking water to the at-risk populations. It empowers people to control the quality of their drinking water. In many rural and urban areas of the developing world, household water-quality interventions can reduce diarrheal morbidity by more than 40%. Water filters have been shown to be the most effective interventions amongst all point-of-use water treatment methods for reducing diarrheal diseases.
For our water filtration program, we partner with Replenish, a 501(c) 3 organization based in Arlington, Texas outside of Dallas. Replenish identifies schools in need, purchases the LifeStraws and coordinates the distribution of the LifeStraws.
To learn more about the life-saving benefits of the point of use filtration systems we fund, please visit the Replenish website at:
Our Rotary club thanks you for your support of our water filtration initiative with Replenish. If you would like to make a donation to support this program or would like additional information, please contact us.
On behalf of the children whose lives who literally will be saved through your support, we again thank you for your support!
