What makes these filters special is that the process is simple. “You don’t have to be an engineer to make them, so any community could access this technology and clean their drinking water,” Pablo explains. The accessibility of the filters is critical, especially in communities throughout rural Guatemala, where many people do not have secure sources of purified water.
So began the process of replicating Abundant Water’s filters in Guatemala. The principal ingredients are coffee grounds and clay -- materials that are readily available in rural parts of the country. Then the tools -- a sifter, rolling pin, and cylindrical molds -- were repurposed from everyday household items.
With working filters, our WASH team is now trying to find a way to bring this technology to our beneficiary schools. “We want these filters available in common areas throughout the schools, so that students are drinking purified water during recess time, rather than from the tap,” Pablo explains. “The goal is that all communities have accessible drinking water”.