Transforming Developing Countries with Safe Water

Publication Year:

2017

Authors:

Language:

Affiliated Orgs.:

Resource Type:

Video

Summary:

Brian Crabtree volunteered on medical missions to refugee camps and witnessed the problem of fecally contaminated water in developing countries. He was bothered by the failure of aid agencies to address this problem and founded Crabtree Scientific to develop water testing and treatment solutions.

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Resource Information

Resource Type

Video

Publication Year

2017

Author

Language

Organizational Affiliation

Business Connect Takeaways

The video highlights that approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide lack access to clean and safe drinking water. This crisis leads to severe health issues, with around 800,000 children under the age of five dying each year from diarrhea-related diseases, which translates to roughly one child every 40 seconds. The lack of clean water, proper sanitation, and hygiene is responsible for around 90% of these deaths.

The video provides a real-life example of a remote village in Guatemala, where the only water source available to the residents is contaminated. The village’s water source is located miles away, and the water runs through a pipe to reach the community. Lack of access to clean water in such remote areas contributes to waterborne diseases and suffering among the residents.

The video showcases the efforts of an engineer from Minnesota who is working to provide innovative solutions to address the problem of water contamination in these remote areas. He has developed a system that utilizes a small computer and a sensor to measure the disinfectant (household bleach) needed to treat the water based on its quality. This system is designed to work even in areas with inconsistent water sources, such as those dependent on rainfall.