The Water Crisis/ Innovation Solution
(Watching the video is entirely optional and not required in any way to understand the rest of the post)
As many as 663 million people go without access to clean drinking water. That is a problem, and there is now a solution. Introducing, Procter and Gamble’s water purification packets, which I will refer to as “CSDW Packets,” (CSDW is an abbreviation for Childrens’ Safe Drinking Water, the name of the P&G initiative that encompasses this invention.) Have you ever found yourself in the middle of an African tribe with having to walk for a dozen or more miles to get water, in which that water is dirty and unsafe to drink, all the while not really being able to boil it because of its’ limited quantity? Because you are lucky enough to be reading this, I assume not. But for those in that scenario, how would walking a fraction of that distance to a little pool of muddy-water mix, bringing up to 10 liters of that home, dump a 4-gram packet of powder into, and mix it up to make for clean and safe drinking water sound. Most likely, like a dream. Because of this innovation, for millions that dream may become reality. The CSDW packets were invented by a Laundry Scientist named Phillip Souter while looking for a way to separate dirt from used laundry water. It is currently being deployed in over 90 countries.
Now you know why it was invented and pursued, now let’s think about how. The packets were invented while a laundry scientist named Phillip souter was attempting to find a solution to removing dirt from used laundry water. According to popular YouTuber and former NASA scientist Mark Rober’s video on this topic, “It was invented by a guy named Phillip Souter who is a laundry scientist at Procter and Gamble.” Also, on Procter and Gamble’s website about this specific innovation, called CSDW.org (which was contributed to by Phillip Souter,) it says, “P&G scientists invented the P&G Purifier of Water technology while attempting to clean dirty laundry water. The innovation became the foundation for the CSDW Program. With only a bucket, a stick, and a clean cloth, this small packet, engineered to be a mini water treatment plant, purifies 10 liters of dirty, potentially deadly, water into clean drinkable water in only 30 minutes.” This shows who and why it was created. Now onto who it impacts the global community. As stated above, more than 663 million people across the globe do not have access to clean drinking water. The consumption of unsanitary water can lead to extremely serious problems. Worldwide, the consumption of unsanitary water and the diseases caused by proxy kill more than Malaria, HIV, and AIDS annually combined. According to Child Fund International at childfund.org, about 584 thousand people die to Malaria every year, and according to the U.S. CDC (Center for Disease Control), 940 thousand people die every year from HIV and AIDS combined. Add that to malaria, and you get approximately 1.524 million deaths annually to the beforementioned diseases. According to theworldcounts.com, 3.575 million people die from drinking unclean water and the illnesses that directly arise thereof. That’s over double an already staggering annual death total. Aside from the direct health risks, the previous way of collecting at least somewhat drinkable water created huge obstacles for anyone trying to achieve goals in life, no matter what they may be. For example, according to my.charitywater.org, people in rural areas without access to clean and safe drinking water “often spend hours every day walking to collect water for their family. Not only does walking for water keep children out of school or take up time that parents could be used to earn money, but the water often carries diseases that can make everyone sick.” This innovation will have an extraordinary impact on people of underprivileged and rural communities by making their lives safer and more prosperous. According to the World Health Organization, which is run by the United Nations, “1.4 million child deaths from diarrhea; 500 000 deaths from malaria; 860 000 child deaths from malnutrition; and 280 000 deaths from drowning.” Also, according to water.org, “Children are often responsible for collecting water for their families. This takes time away from school and play.”... “Access to safe water gives children time to play and opportunity for a bright future.” Those aforementioned numbers are just the children alone. Imagine if they all grew up and were productive members of society instead of ending their lives or wasting their educational primetime walking for hours and hours a day for a basic necessity? That would boost every single human being’s well-being.
In conclusion, there is a problem. 663 million people do not have access to clean drinking water. Previously for many, there was very little hope. That is changing because of the work of Procter and Gamble in association with countless charities around the world.
Works Cited
Rober, Mark, director. Drinking Nasty Swamp Water (to Save the World). YouTube, YouTube, 15 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qZWMNW7GmE.
“Basic Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Aug. 2019, www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/statistics.html.
“Deaths from Dirty Water and Related Diseases - Globally, This Year.” The World Counts, www.theworldcounts.com/counters/interesting_water_facts/dirty_water_diseases.
“Malaria's Terrible Toll.” Malaria Facts & Statistics, www.childfund.org/infographic/malaria/.
Nakaya, Rion. “The Powder That Can Turn Sludge into Clean Drinking Water.” The Kid Should See This, The Kid Should See This, 4 Sept. 2019, thekidshouldseethis.com/post/water-purifier-powder-mark-rober.
“P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW).” P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW), Procter And Gamble, csdw.org/.
Paynter, Ben. “How Bill Gates Ended up Eating Pizza Rolls on YouTube.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 13 Mar. 2019, www.fastcompany.com/90316948/how-bill-gates-ended-up-eating-pizza-rolls-on-youtube.
“Water Crisis - Learn About The Global Water Crisis.” Water.org, Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/.
“Why Water - Impact of the Global Water Crisis: Charity: Water.” My Charity Water, Charity Global Inc., my.charitywater.org/global-water-crisis.
So you mentioned this is life-saver for many third-world people. But how much does this cost? A lot of these people are living off of as little as $1 a week, so would they even be able to afford it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking! According to theatlantic.com, the average American drinks about 58 gallons of water per year. In liters, that equates to ~220. Seeing how each packet can fix 10 liters, it would take 22 packets to solve water for a year. Although the exact retail price is not available, it is only available through humanitarian aide groups. Other brands that sell the exact same chemical compound sell 100 for about $9. For 240, which is what they sell the official-brand bulk amount, it would cost $21.6. For one person, that would last 235 and 1/2 years. That is unpractical, so lets say a family of 10 shares them for about 23.5 years of clean water each. If all of them on average made $1 a week, they could pay for 23.5 years of clean, drinkable water, in as much as 3 weeks.
DeleteLike Jacob said money is most likely an issue with the people in need of this products. Are there any companies that are willing or already donate these tablets to these people in need?
ReplyDeleteYes, there are many humanitarian organizations that contribute money to those that can not afford these packets. Under Jacob's comment, I explained the economics of even people in poverty paying for these thanks to Procter and Gambel's generosity selling them to charity organizations at a loss. This is because of how cheap they are, it makes little to no impact on their business, but it makes the biggest difference in some people's entire lives.
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