Many have asked about our water filter project “Buckets for Life”. Sawyer water filters use Hollow Fiber Membranes, a technology developed for kidney dialysis. That’s pretty amazing and carries a very good “cool’ factor. Here are a few items that will explain why-how-where we use the Sawyer water filter and also a link if you want to partner with us in this project. As of today we have filters in the nations of: Guyana, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru and Brazil.
EMPOWER A VILLAGE
Recent studies have shown Sawyer filters eliminate up to 85% of all diarrhea, 98% of which was obtained through water. The remaining diarrhea was contracted through touching contaminated food and inadequate washing which sanitation and hygiene education will help to further reduce. When you eliminate waterborne disease from a village you empower that village in more ways than you can imagine.
Economic Impact
• Income is no longer spent on medical bills for preventable diseases.
• The filter pays for itself within a year with money that would have been spent on medical bills or fuel/wood to boil water.
• Men and women are healthy enough to work and earn a living.
• Parents don’t have to stay home from work and tend to their sick children.
• Children can attend school and get an education
Environmental Impact
Sawyer water filters are among the most significant developments in the history of environmental conservation.
The filter completely eliminates the need to clean water by boiling. The average family of four who cleans their water by boiling burns the equivalent of 10 to 40 trees, 39 gallons of oil, or 211 pounds of natural gas. The only energy source required by Sawyer filters is gravity.
These filters are:
FAST
- These are point of use filters. Water is on demand so there is no need to store water and increase risk of post-contamination
- For higher volumes of water increase the head pressure or attach multiple filters to a container
- The robust fibers can handle up to 40 psi
EASY
- No electricity, chemicals or technical training is required
- Simple enough that anyone in the world can understand how to use and maintain it
- Installing filter on a standard five gallon bucket takes literally minutes
- Maintenance is even easier. Simply backwash the filter– a process that takes less than 30 seconds
- No moving parts to break down
COST EFFECTIVE
- One filter at no more than $50 can yield millions of gallons of water cleaner than US bottled water
- This is a one time cost. No replacement cartridges necessary
- With each kit weighing less than a half pound, these filters are easy to transport in mass quantities. We find the buckets in the community we are serving
Q. How long does the filter last?
A. The filter itself comes with a Lifetime Warranty. Here is a link that explains the warranty in easy to read details.
Q. How much water can be filtered in one day?
A. The filter attached to a standard 5 gallon bucket is capable of filtering up to 295 gallons (1,117 liters) of water per day.
Q. Will the filter remove salt, chemicals, pesticides or heavy metals like arsenic?
A. No.
Q. Are the filters tested and approved?
A. The Sawyer water filters have been tested by independent and qualified research laboratories according to EPA standards for water filters.
How to get involved:
The easiest thing to do is support Buckets For Life financially. Just one water bucket ($5.00 USD each) or one water filter ($50.00 USD each) can provide clean drinking water for a community of 1,000 people for ten years!
Thank you!
