Water Solutions

How Can We Increase Access to Clean Drinking Water Solutions?

Increasing access to clean drinking water solutions can be addressed on many fronts as clean water shortages are due to many factors and must be addressed in different ways. According to the United Nation’s Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation, the world’s efforts to address water solutions are officially “behind.”1 The same report cited funding, planning, capacity and governance of water and sanitation services as the most important things to address as quickly as possible.

In seeking water solutions, there’s first a need to understand whether the issue in a specific location is that it has water but it’s contaminated or that the area is arid and does not have regular rainfall. There are also temporary clean water issues, such as those immediately following natural disaster. Research is needed into an area’s specific situation to choose the best way to help.

“We did a study in our medical camps and found the No. 1 issue for children in South Asia was either diarrhea or upper respiratory infections,” said GFA World founder Dr. K.P. Yohannan. When children are constantly sick, they cannot attend school on a regular basis. Yohannan added, “Our ultimate goal to give kids an education so they can get a better job is compromised if they’re sick.”

The best solution for areas with ample but contaminated water is GFA World’s BioSand water filter. This simple concrete box has multiple layers of filtration that pull contaminants out of the water, which is poured into the top. Ninety-eight percent purity can be achieved with a device that only costs $30 to manufacture.

Sitting only a few feet high, the BioSand water filter can fit in or near a small home and provide clean water for many years with proper maintenance. This is an immediate, affordable way to increase access to water that improves health.

For an even larger impact, GFA World also drills Jesus Wells. Approximately 300 people per day for up to 20 years can have a clean water solution through these wells that only cost around $1,400 to drill to a depth that can withstand drought and major weather events.

More than 30,000 Jesus Wells and more than 73,500 BioSand Water Filters have been gifted through GFA World’s clean water initiatives, and more are being added daily. These two cost-effective, immediate clean water solutions can drastically change the lives of thousands of people for years to come.

A gift to GFA World for either of these solutions brings hope and transformation to families and communities in desperate need.

Learn more about the global water crisis

1 Sustainable Development Goal 6: Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation, Foreword. World Health Organization. 2018, United Nations.