WATER

Every minute three children die from water-borne diseases. By the time you’ve read this article,
15 children will have died from lack of clean water.

by Cindy Stephen

Samaritan’s Purse has launched an aggressive campaign urging Canadians to help provide clean drinking water in developing countries using technology developed here in Calgary.

Turn on the Tap is a three-year initiative to raise enough money to purchase and deliver 65,000 BioSand Water Filters worldwide, nearly as many filters as Samaritan’s Purse has installed in the past 10 years.

"We’re excited at the opportunity to help save lives and improve the health of 500,000 people with this campaign," said Fred Weiss, executive director of Samaritan’s Purse. "More than 1.1 billion people lack safe drinking water and 1.8 million people are killed annually because of it."

John Clayton, project director at Samaritan’s Purse, said Turn on the Tap is not just another fundraising campaign.

"We were in Ethiopia and took a sample of the local drinking water in which there were 30,000 units of E. coli bacteria. In Calgary, if we checked our water and found even one unit, we’d be issuing an order to boil," Clayton said.

Pouring contaminated water into a BSF in Niger. — photo courtesy Samaritan’s Purse

"There’s a demand and a waiting list. For $100 per household, we can deliver results," he said. "We help people build the filter, we educate them about hygiene and we re-visit them. Sometimes we have to pass through a community several times. There are no strings attached, however we are a Christian relief organization, and if there’s time and opportunity we do talk about God and Jesus Christ and the eternal life that He brings us."

The BioSand Water Filter was invented by former University of Calgary professor David Manz. Clayton said that after seeing a newspaper article about his efforts, Samaritan’s Purse sent two staff members to Nicaragua to study the health impact of the filter and found that cholera had virtually been eliminated in the area where filters were placed.

"It seemed too good to be true," said Clayton. "After that, we took an active role in bringing this to the community."

Manz, who has not benefited in any significant way by mass distribution of the filters, said he is thrilled about the campaign.

"I expect that more than 65,000 filters will be purchased during this program. I believe $100 is a very reasonable amount," he said.

The filter, which Manz perfected 10 years ago, is made of sand and gravel and cement. It removes 95 to 99 per cent off water-borne bacteria, viruses, protozoa and other organisms that cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and amoebic dysentery. It also strains out the particles and organic matter that cause cloudiness, unpleasant taste, color and odor.

Camille Dow Baker, who co-founded the Centre for Affordable and Sanitation Technology with Manz, is pleased that Samaritan’s Purse has launched such an aggressive public campaign.

"They’re the ones that have gone the furthest with the filter. They’ve taken it to 20 some-odd countries and served over 400,000 people which is hugely significant for one organization," said Dow Baker, a former petroleum engineer who switched her focus from oil to water after witnessing the tragedy of unsafe drinking water in the developing world.

"Samaritan’s Purse is having a significant impact on people’s lives."

The Turn on the Tap campaign involves heavy media advertising to encourage Canadian households to link up with a household in a developing country by donating $100 to purchase a BioSand Water Filter.

Canadians wishing to donate can visit their website at: www.turnonthetap.ca.