Water Filters and Carriers

Water Filters and Carriers

Access to clean water is a human right. When disasters devastate whole communities, finding safe water can become extremely difficult.

Read how our water filters and carriers help people to produce lifesaving clean water.

CLEAN WATER

During disasters like storms, earthquakes or conflict, water pipes and pumps get broken, rivers and wells become contaminated. You could find yourself living in inhospitable areas or overcrowded camps where water is in short supply. Finding clean water for you and your family becomes an urgent priority.

And it’s not only for drinking. Washing hands frequently is one of the most important things we can do to keep ourselves safe from coronavirus and other diseases.

By providing water filters and carriers, we can help people produce vital clean water.

Group-of-refugees-illustration-500x316 — 41% of the world's refugees do not have access to clean, safe drinking water

flooded-house-illustration-500x316 — 41% of the world's refugees do not have access to clean, safe drinking water

OUR AID

WATER FILTERS

When clean water is hard to find, water filters help people to produce safe drinking water.

Our water filter removes bacteria, viruses, and protozoa that can be found within contaminated water.

It can filter up to 200,000 liters of unsafe water.

Donate today to help a family produce safe drinking water.

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56 year old Tchamaye filters water for his wife and 5 children in Cameroon. Like so many other families in the area, they fled from armed terrorist attacks in the middle of night, leaving their home and belongings behind.

In Cameroon, Falmata pours her safe drinking water in the water carrier to store it. "Now I have the possibility to store drinking water for two days. I live much better with them", she says.

WATER CARRIERS

Working with disaster-affected families, we’ve learned that it’s important to provide water carriers along with water filters.

This gives families a place to store the filtered water so that it can be kept clean and safe to drink.

In the Philippines, our collapsible water carriers have been particularly welcomed by women, who told us they were light and easy to carry. Sometimes families will use the collapsible carriers as bowls to eat from or store food.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

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Why do communities struggle to access clean water after a disaster?

Whether it’s a cyclone, flooding or conflict, disasters can cause huge amounts of destruction and damage – and clean water is often compromised.

Hand pumps break and local water sources get filled with debris, dirt, or even chemicals.

How can disaster-affected families produce safe drinking water?

There are three main methods to do this: disinfection, sedimentation, and filtration.

Disinfection uses chemicals, boiling or sunlight to rid water of bacteria. Sedimentation allows dirt to fall to the bottom of a water container over time. Filtration physically removes dirt by passing water through a material such as ceramic or sand.

We provide water filters because they are the most reliable and safest way to produce clean water.

Do all ShelterBox responses involve water filters and carriers?

No, they don’t.

Every response is different, so the decision to distribute these is based on the needs of the affected families.

Read our Disasters Explained series to explore different disasters, how they occur and their effects on communities.

TSHAMAYA'S STORY

Tshamaya lives in Minawao refugee camp, Cameroon.

In 2012, his whole family were forced to flee their home in Nigeria in search of a safer place to call home. Five years on, Minawao refugee camp has become their hometown.

Their lives would have been much easier if they hadn’t all become ill. On their arrival at the camp, the family started suffering from stomach aches, caused by drinking unsafe water. But they didn’t have a choice – it was a matter of drinking dirty water or no water at all.

Using the water filter he received, Tshamaya was able to produce safe drinking water for his family. Tshamaya says:

Since we started using the filter that we received, nobody complained again of stomach ache.

“I suffered too much with my wife and children always sick. When my wife fetches water, I filter the quantity that I can and I keep the filter for the next time", Tshamaya says.

EXPLORE OUR AID

People affected by Cyclone Dineo with ShelterBox aid items

Shelter Kits

Our shelter kits provide communities with the tools they need to start rebuilding their homes and their lives.

Mosquito Nets

When disaster strikes and families and are left vulnerable to insect-borne diseases like malaria, mosquito nets can help reduce the risk of infection.

Solar Lights

When disaster strikes, families often have no access to electricity. Solar lights can allow families to rebuild a sense of normality.

Water Filters and Carriers