A clean water device creates a tap from a backpack, and it’s saving lives

It weights no more than 300g – less than a loaf of bread – fits easily into a backpack and looks like any other plastic bag. But the simple device is a life-saver for people who have no access to clean drinking water.

The bag, called Fieldtrate Lite, filters dirty water, such as river water, through a membrane and turns it into potable water in the same time it would take to run it from the tap.

It is the brainchild of Singapore start-up WateROAM. The company designs potable water filtration systems for use in disaster relief operations or among rural communities without access to water.

The social enterprise was started when the owners visited various parts of Asia, such as Bintan and Phnom Penh, and saw several young children drinking dirty water and falling sick after.  Drinking contaminated water can cause severe health problems including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even death.

The team behind WateROAM hopes that Fieldtrate Lite will be the answer to the problem. The filtration system, which costs $35, is easy to operate and does not require electricity. Each bag, made of medical-grade plastic, is fitted with a tube that dispenses clean, filtered water.

It takes just an hour to filter a full bag of six to 10 litres of water, which can serve a household of five to seven people. It lasts three to five years because it uses ceramic membrane, which is more durable than the widely-used polymeric membranes which tear more easily.

To date, WateROAM’s filtration systems have provided drinkable water for nearly 1000 people in three countries, including an orphanage, a Cambodian village and the victims of flooding in Malaysia. It sells the filters to non-governmental organizations such as World Vision, Canact and Relief.sg, which bring them to overseas communities.

Said one of the owners after installing a filtration system in Phnom Penh,

“When I saw the village kids running around the system, finally able to play with clean water, I felt whatever I’m doing is worth it.”

(All images - credit: Wikimedia Commons and Pixabay under Creative Commons licence)