The Rotary Club of Hall International Committee is exploring opportunities for further involvement in the Clay-pot Filters Secure Safe Water Project. The following video gives a good overview of the project. The Rotary Club of Hall provided $2,000 seed funding for this project in 2010 (although we are referred to in the video as Canberra Rotary)
httpvh://youtu.be/McEe0Buq5hQ
The Abundant Water project was initiated by Sunny Forsyth, an Australian engineer and AW project manager. In 2007, whilst working as an Australian Government Youth Ambassador, Sunny became aware of the lack of access to safe drinking water in rural communities in Laos.
In 2008, using his engineering skills and contacts in Laos, Sunny successfully built a low-cost methane digester power plant for a rural hospital in Lao. This demonstrated to Sunny, the possibility of low-cost autonomous development projects.
Sunny Forsyth talking with a local potter
Seeking to address the need for villagers to filter their water, Sunny sought advice from Dr Tony Flynn at the Australian National University (ANU). Dr Flynn’s research demonstrated that innovative low-cost clay-pot filters, made from natural materials found everywhere, removed over 95% of the pathogens in unsafe drinking water.
From his prior experience in development aid, Sunny realised that a project manufacturing clay-pot filters would require a grassroots approach and local support in order to succeed. Also, village potters would need to not only successfully train in the technology but would need to make the pots in the local style and educate users of the hygiene practices required to filter clean water.
You can find out more about Abundant Water at http://www.abundantwater.org/
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