Water for all its uses and its importance to daily living may just be the resource we take for granted the most
How many steps do you walk to get clean water?
It’s a few paces to the refrigerator for some. None, for those who always carry their tumblers and flasks. In other cases, we even have water brought to us. Frankly, how exactly we get it is often not our concern because of how easily accessible it is. But that necessarily isn’t the case for everyone.
According to the United Nations, women in Africa and Asia walk an average of six kilometers to collect water. These are often taken from wells, rivers, and hand pumps, which are not only unprotected and unclean but may also carry harmful diseases.
This is an all-too-familiar sight for Waves For Water PH and the various communities they have been working with through the years.
READ: 3 reasons why we’re joining the #Race4Water2024 virtual fundraising run
Only gravity
There are several different ways by which one can go about addressing water scarcity. However, many of these are resource-intensive and may be difficult to implement long-term. Waves For Water PH, searching for lasting solutions, found that gravity was the only thing they needed.
The MVP Point One Filter, manufactured by US-based company Sawyer Products, is a gravity-fed filter with a pore size of 0.1 microns. It works by allowing water to pass through one end of the device, then it traps contaminants and sediments while allowing clean, potable water to pass through.
But what is the significance of the 0.1-micron figure? In water filtration, a micron rating refers to what size of particles a device can effectively capture. At 1 to 5 microns, filters can remove visible sediments and debris such as sand and soil, while at 0.1 to 0.2 microns, they can filter microscopic particles.
According to Waves For Water PH, their filter can capture bacteria, cysts, and parasites that can cause cholera, botulism, typhoid, E. coli, salmonella, and more. The device can be used to filter water from lakes, streams, wells, and other freshwater sources. However, it will not remove iron, sulfur, or other chemicals and heavy metals, and will work as intended for as long as the water source is not chemically polluted.
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After use, it is only recommended that the device is cleaned by backwashing it to remove any remaining contaminants on the filtering side. If maintained properly, the $35 device is estimated to work for a minimum of five years.
The water filter is typically packaged with a bucket, which holds the contaminated water before letting clean water flow out of the device. However, the filter can also be attached to rainwater catchment tanks and larger containment vats to serve the needs of larger communities.
As of November 2024, Waves For Water PH has implemented 28,091 water filtration systems, 147 rainwater catchment systems, and 1,298 standalone handwashing units across all 82 provinces in the Philippines. But, there’s still much to be done and there are more and more inaccessible communities to reach out to.
Waves For Water and the mission at hand
According to the United Nations, as of 2022, 2.2 billion people did not have access to safely managed drinking water; 1.5 billion were without basic sanitation services; and two billion lacked basic handwashing facilities.
The issue surrounding water scarcity goes far and beyond just simply accessing it. It includes understanding the value of handwashing, the proper handling of stored water, and the awareness of contaminants and how to prevent diseases.
Just this Oct. 29, we joined Waves For Water PH on a visit to Barangay Sampad, Cardona, Rizal. During the mission, the nonprofit assembled a collection of community leaders in the barangay covered courts. They were to demonstrate how the filtration system worked and hand out several devices for the representatives to bring back and hopefully implement in their clusters.
The assembly started with a short lesson on the water cycle. This showed that rainwater often collects pollutants from waste, sewage, and other undesirable sources, and is not safe for drinking. This was followed by a demonstration of proper handwashing practices.
Upon introducing the water filter to the citizens of Barangay Sampad, it was clear that not everybody was on board. Hesitation was palpable and many doubted its capability to filter out dirt and bacteria within seconds. However, those demonstrating proceeded to process water that was murky into clear water that everyone in attendance drank to show its safety.
This removed all doubts from the crowd and once all their questions were answered and were given instructions on how to assemble and maintain their filters went on their way to share what they had learned with their fellow community members.
Water for all uses and needs
Barangay Sampad is not necessarily an inaccessible far-flung community. Unlike the others Waves For Water PH has visited in Zambales, Cebu, or Albay, Sampad has access to other water sources like NAWASA and hand pumps and can be reached via road vehicles.
The use of the water filter, after all, is not limited to the poorest of the poor. The device has applications for all walks of life and can even be utilized in urban city centers. In the event of calamities, such as the string of typhoons that recently hit Luzon, evacuation centers can use the filters as they await help.
In the community’s case, Barangay Sampad desk officer Joel Ferido Fullantes shared that his grandchild once got sick after drinking water sourced from a nearby poso (water well or pump) during a power outage.
“Meron na po nagkasakit, ’yung apo ko. Minsan kasi ’pag brownout, ’pag walang maiinom, kumukuha kami sa poso, pinapakuluan namin. Kaya lang, siguro kapag di-ano ng bata, minsan nagtatae,” shared Fullantes.
Jovelyn Calicdan, a resident from Barangay Sampad, shared a similar sentiment, “Source po talaga namin dito kapag walang Manila Water o NAWASA ’yung poso. ’Yun po kahit nung bata kami, ’yun talaga ’yung pinagkukunan namin ng water. Usually, nung maliliit kami, more on poso lang. Kaso nung dumating ’yung Bagyong Yolanda, dun kami tumigil sa paggamit ng poso kasi contaminated na.”
In the end, the question is not really ‘How many steps do you walk to get clean water?’ but ‘How much do you take water for granted?’ We forget how hard it is to live without it and in reality, a human right is oftentimes turned into a privilege we don’t even recognize.
VJ Matias, a volunteer for Waves For Water PH, puts it best. “Runners will always say hydrate yourself properly. I think that as much as I am able to get out of bed, wear my shoes, and immediately go out for a run—I think in the same way, I should be able to get out of bed and have access to clean water.”
For more information on Waves For Water PH, check them out via their website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Donations can be made via this link.
