Water storage - Whats best for keeping water clean and drinkable?

Last week we looked at how the Swiss Cleanwater Kiosks can be used to set up stations for collecting clean water. The next challenge becomes how to maintain the provided drinking water in a clean state.

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A "jerry can"

The jerry can is one of the most common ways of transporting water in third world countries, but unfortunately it is often polluted, or dirty. So the newly treated water from a water kiosk only remains fresh for a very short time. To solve this challenge we need to ensure that the flasks used are sanitized from within.

The Lifesaver Jerrycan may not be the most affordable solution costing GBP 167 for one can, something that will not be afforded by most of the people who need it. Nonetheless, it is a great concept that should ensure that no bacteria or virus come into the final drinking water. Watch the video below to see what the Lifesaver is about or see more here:

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/lifesaver-products-1/lifesaver-jerrycans/lifesaver-jerrycan-10000

So what can we do instead? Clean current cans? That requires some common cleaning techniques that may require bleach or other chemicals that will remove common things such as algae from cans. If we are talking about a "soft" plastic bottle, then this should only be reused once or twice, but if it is a hard plastic bottle, then it can be reused again and again as long as it is cleaned. If you want to know how to clean your water can then read here: http://www.ehow.com/how_6179938_remove-algae-drinking-water-bottles.html

The optimal water container for storing clean drinking water is heavy-duty, "food-grade" polyethylene containers. The containers are often blue and can contain up to 50 gallons of water. For dispensing, a small tap is often placed on the side of the barrel.

If you want more great tips on water storage then go to this site:
http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/01/water-storage-tips/

Recap: Swiss Cleanwater Group at "Planning for the future: how to use our water resources more efficiently"

Sustainable Water Treatment by Swiss Cleanwater Group

Kim Weis Hansen, CEO Swiss Cleanwater Group
15 January 2013

Swiss Cleanwater Group contributed with the more technological approach towards a solution that could help provide millions with clean drinking water, whilst not needing vast amounts of chemicals or energy.

From the previous presentations at the seminar, it was clear that solutions such as desalination and reverse osmosis were frequently used, not by free will, but more because of lacking alternatives.

Kim Weis Hansen, CEO. Photos: Hasse Ferrold

Below you can see the slides of the time-limited 15 minute presentation:

We cannot survive without water... food we can do without for a couple of weeks, but water is something we must have.

There are no substitutes for water, you cannot switch water with cola or something different. Water is a resource.

Its not only us humans that need QUALITY water - its also so many other things that make everything in a world function.

We have less and less access to clean drinking water due to all types of water pollution.

If this is the total water supply....

Then less than this droplet is what we can drink.

...and these factors are just an eye-opener to why water problems are becoming bigger.

In our area in San Diego, the water prices have risen by 65%!!! We should think we were dealing with oil...

Other water treatment uses too many chemicals and too much energy.

Here are some of the common systems on the market that are used for water treatment.

We wanted to create a solution that could fill the gap of an environmentally friendly solution.

Output-wise this is where we would place the Swiss Cleanwater Machine.

These are just some of the benefits of Swiss Cleanwater Machines - see all here:
http://www.swiss-cleanwater-group.com/en/the-scg-advantage.html

A quick overview of one of the three available machines.

This is what our core competency is.

One of our NGO cases from Ethiopia

A mobile water treatment case from Germany. See here for Mobile Water Treatment.

Its a global challenge we all need to face.

This is one of our patented water kiosks.

...perfect for disaster water treatment, and can be powered by solar power.

Remember the name ;-) we are here to stay...

You want to know more or find out how you can get clean water?

The objective of the presentation was to show the various stakeholders present that it is possible to provide clean drinking water, through a new way of treating water.

The presentation did not go into technical details as this was not the right audience for that, if you are looking for a deeper explanation of how a Swiss Cleanwater Machine works, then you can read about it here: http://www.swiss-cleanwater-group.com/en/purification-of-water.html

You can also see a short video clip explanation on that page.

The Global Water Crisis

 

Most of us take water for granted on a daily basis. In the morning we wake up, wash our face, drink a cup of coffee, rinse fresh fruit, clean our dirty dishes, take a shower, brush our teeth and on some occasions we remember to drink a part of our daily recommendation of 2.5 Liters of water. We have not been awake for more than a couple of hours, and already we have completed some of our everyday tasks that we take for granted.

See: 11 million people without access to clean water in Mexico

Unfortunately, this scenario cannot be shared by everyone. Today there are over 880 million people lacking access to clean, healthy drinking water. That is roughly 1 out of every 8 people on the planet. An astonishing number, which will only increase as we continue to place heavy demands on our depleting planet. The increased industrial activity of the BRIC countries has not only increased the amount of pollution that our environment must deal with, but it also increases demand of its' people on the local water resources.

See also this article: Global Water Crisis

This increasing global challenge of providing clean, healthy drinking water is becoming a more pressing matter. Something needs to be done.

Fortunately, there are some technologies out there that will help future generations get access to clean water. Something we will look closer at in the coming days.