A worldwide water revolution starts in Guatemala
A worldwide water revolution starts in Guatemala
By Anna-Claire Bevan |
Published on August 20, 2013 by Anna-Claire Bevan
What started out 30 years ago with a man called Fernando directing artisans on potter’s wheels in the small town of Rabinal, Guatemala, has resulted in a worldwide water revolution.
In Guatemala alone there are around a million families living without access to clean drinking water. Unable to afford purified bottled versions, they have two options: either spend a large proportion of their salary on firewood to boil water, which causes deforestation and pollutes the environment, or drink dirty water, which causes infections and can lead to death.
In 1981, Fernando Mazariegos developed a technology called ceramic pot filtration. The following year, the design was awarded the top prize by the Latin American Institute of Water Engineers for its effectiveness in treating contaminated water. It has since gone on to receive awards from the World Bank.
Born out of the idea that every Guatemalan should have access to a sustainable source of clean drinking water, Ecofiltro has been using the ceramic pot filtration technology to bring clean water to the rural poor on a mass scale since 2009. Perfecting low-cost water filters and working with NGOs to distribute them, the social business believes that the best way to make water filtration a sustainable solution, and not just a charitable gift, is to help people secure filters for the rest of their lives.
More:
http://newint.org/blog/2013/08/20/ceramic-pot-filtration/