A common solution to lack of clean water in places such as Africa or India is water wells. Deep water wells that can support an entire community with clean water are very expensive, over $30,000 and small wells cost at least $8,000. Their production is also very time consuming and require many skilled laborers. Due to these issues, it is not presently, due to the economic position of these underdeveloped nations, reasonable or possible to provide enough water wells as a clean water solution for all who lack access to clean water.
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Another interesting concept has been developed by a man named Jeremiah Jackson who theorized and tested using cattails to soak up a large percentage of arsenic found in the water. Although this method is inexpensive and easy, it only is able to remove arsenic from the water and leaves behind many other dangerous contaminants. Because of this, using cattails alone cannot provide clean water; however, if used in combination with a cleaning process, the concept may be helpful in ensuring safe water in underdeveloped regions.
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At Stanford University, a research group has generated a way to filter water by killing the bacteria itself. To create their filter, they dip a cotton cloth in a mixture of electrified nanostructures to create a “nano-coated” material that kills pathogens. Removing pathogens is very helpful in providing safe water; however, there are many issues with this solution. The production of the nano-coated cloth can only take place in a controlled laboratory setting, it is very costly, and requires materials and equipment that are not easily gained access to. Additionally, the cloth only kills the bacteria and does not remove them or other contaminants, so the water still would not be safe to drink. Along with these issues, the cloth may not remain effective for extended periods of time; therefore, it cannot provide for a family for a long period of time. All these restraints and complications render the solution unable to effectively reach those in regions without access to clean water.
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An effective solution for providing clean water has been found in “water stills” such as the Eliodomestico. Water stills are set out in the sun with dirty water and use the sun’s energy to evaporate the water and deposit the steam into another basin to condensate. On a very warm day, the basin can yield a maximum of five liters of water by the end of the day. This is a somewhat decent yield and certainly provides clean water; however, issues occur when a family cannot afford a still or when the weather is not warm enough to provide the full five liters that can be produced on a very warm day. This process would not be helpful at all on colder days; therefore, it leaves family’s water consumption at the mercy of the weather. Furthermore, it would not be helpful at all in regions that remain cold or have cold winters.
One major solution used to purify water all around the word is the coagulation process. A large portion of contaminants in water such as bacteria cannot be filtered or settled out. The coagulation process breaks down the negative charges of these contaminants in the water, causing them to group together and sink. The most commonly used coagulants in America include Polyamine, Aluminum Sulfate (Alum), and Ferric Chloride. Most water treatment plants use this process to purify water, and it s very effective; however, these chemicals are too expensive and inaccessible for those who live in Africa. Additionally, these chemicals are highly toxic and hazardous to come in contact with. Due to this, water treatment plants use expensive equipment to safely use these coagulants and to ensure significant levels of the dangerous chemicals do not remain in the water at the time of consumption. Individuals should not use these chemicals or come in contact with them; therefore, this solution as executed in America is not viable for underdeveloped regions of Africa.
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Rice University researchers have been developing a type of “coated sand” that uses graphite oxide to facilitate the filtering process of water. Unfortunately, creating the sand is not simple and graphite oxide is expensive and not readily available worldwide. This means that, while the coated sand may be practical for those who have access to the funds and laboratories needed for the sand’s production, it is not plausible for those who actually lack these resources which are also the people without clean water access.
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