Water Purification
Using the Sun to Sterilise WaterIn Europe, the sun can be a bit intermittent, but clean water is in good supply, whereas in Kenya, the sun is consistent but clean water is rare.
But, water can be easily and cheaply sterilised - by leaving the water under the sun.
Piped water in many regions of Kenya is intermittent and even when it does flow, it is not clean enough to drink.
When the pipes run dry, villagers get water from other sources, which are usually contaminated with pathogens that can cause disease.
Many people in rural Africa with no access to safe drinking water sterilise their water by boiling it.
Ultra-violet rays
KCSI is developing a system that uses scrap materials to expose water to the sun's ultra-violet rays and heat to kill off the bacteria that is usually found in water sources. Solar radiation means a combination of ultra-violet rays and heat destroys the bacteria which cause common water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery and diarrhea.
After eight hours in the sun, it is ready to drink, and if the water reaches more than 50°C, it is safe in just one hour.
Filtration
Once the water has been treated to remove pathogens, it can be filtered, using simple, easy to build methods, in order to remove living organisms (e.g. larvae and eggs), as well as grit, and other foreign bodies.
The water can then be stored in mosquito-proof containers and drawn off as needed.
Education
KCSI, in its role as a health educator is planning a programme of education for rural and low socio-economic areas, where the benefits of clean drinking water will be promoted and the building of solar purification/filtration units will be taught.
We need funding for this project that will reduce child sickness and mortality, as well as the burden on an already over-stretched health service.
Contact KCSI