We get drinking water straight from the tap. We use it for personal hygiene, to prepare meals or drink it directly. Hardly anyone gives a thought to the fact that it could harm us or make us ill. This luxury of clean water is not available in all countries.
Limits for clean water
We don't have to worry about using tap water thanks to the Drinking Water Ordinance: An excerpt from the German Drinking Water Ordinance - §4, para. 1: Drinking water must be of such a quality that its consumption or use does not pose a risk to human health, in particular through pathogens. It must be pure and fit for consumption. ... The Drinking Water Ordinance specifies the limit values for various substances.
Other countries have their own limits. If a country does not have its own limits, we use the limits set by the WHO (World Health Organisation) as the limits to be observed in our aid projects in Africa.
Contaminated water
Water that does not comply with the limit values is not drinking water. It is contaminated water and can cause illness and death: diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever, and worm infections such as schistosomiasis can result. These can be fatal in some circumstances. Every day, around 4,000 children die from these preventable diseases.
Bacterial contamination
Water from rivers, streams, ponds and lakes in Africa is usually polluted, even if it looks clean. Suspended solids can be seen with the naked eye. To ensure that the water does not contain any bacteria, it must be tested in a laboratory. Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short, is particularly notorious. It is found in the intestines of humans and animals and spreads through poor sanitation and animal faeces in villages, meadows, fields, etc. When it rains, it is washed into the ground with seeping rainwater. It can contaminate groundwater, which is otherwise usually clean. However, the soil has a self-cleaning power. The longer the path of the seeping rainwater, the greater the chance that the bacteria will be broken down before they reach the groundwater table. With a groundwater level of 60 metres or more, this can usually be assumed to be the case.
Chemical contamination
Chemical contamination of groundwater is rare in rural areas of Africa. Industry is virtually non-existent, as is extensive agriculture. However, there are chemical compounds that are unhealthy in high quantities. Fluoride, for example, occurs in the volcanic rock of the East African Rift Valley. Too much of it in the water leads to fluoride poisoning. Dissolved calcium and magnesium ions are not contaminants. Their concentration determines whether the water is soft or hard.
Want to donate drinking water? How contaminated water is turned into drinking water
Contaminated water can be made drinkable through treatment. How it needs to be treated depends on the results of laboratory analysis. Support our treatment and educational work.
Removing suspended solids
Suspended solids can be removed by
- sedimentation (allowing it to settle)
- natural flocculation with moringa seeds
The clear water can then be skimmed off with a beaker or cup. A filter made of sand or stones can also be used to remove suspended solids from the water.
Killing bacteria and viruses
The following methods can be used for this purpose:
- Boiling for at least 5 minutes. The water must be bubbling.
This is relatively expensive, as charcoal and firewood are costly. - Moringa seeds
Moringa seeds ground into powder are dissolved in water. The water is stirred for 10 minutes. After about 40 minutes, the suspended solids have settled and about 99% of the germs have been killed. The clear water can be carefully skimmed off with a container and drunk. - SODIS – Disinfection with sunlight
Fill a clear PET bottle completely with water and place it on a corrugated iron or thatched roof. A corrugated iron roof is better in this case, as it reflects sunlight better. If the sky is cloudless, 6 hours is sufficient, otherwise it will take longer. The UV light and heat kill many germs. - Chlorination
Electrolysis is a very simple and inexpensive way to produce sodium hypochlorite from water and table salt. A few millilitres are enough to treat 20 litres of water, a full canister. - Water filters with ceramic membranes
These filters are commonly used for small amounts of water when travelling.
Chlorination can be used to treat several thousand or even tens of thousands of litres of water per day. All other methods mentioned are suitable for small quantities of water. They are ideal for household use. The treated water can be used for drinking and preparing meals.
Large quantities of water are needed for field irrigation and livestock watering. Groundwater is suitable for this purpose. It is extracted using a hand pump or solar pump.
A well is important – but it does not automatically solve the drinking water problem. Even a newly built well can supply water that makes people ill if it is not treated further. Wells must be maintained, repaired and monitored.
Water – Foodstuff #1
Unlike other liquids such as petrol or diesel, water is not consumed. It is managed and circulates in a cycle. Water comes to earth as precipitation. Some of it flows along roads and paths into streams, rivers and then into the sea. Some of the precipitation evaporates, some seeps away and becomes groundwater. Another part evaporates and becomes water vapour. This forms clouds, which then rain down again. A raindrop is about 10.8 days old.
Water must be treated with care. It can be reused about seven times before it needs to be treated. It is our most important foodstuff. Without water, we can survive for a maximum of three days. Therefore, it is vital to donate water.
- The right to life is not possible without water.
- The right to food and protection from hunger is not possible without water.
- The right to health and physical integrity is not possible without clean water.
That is why the right to clean water is a human right. This was decided by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution on 28 June 2010. The resolution states that clean water is ‘essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights’.
Donate water – clean water changes lives.
By donating drinking water, you are investing directly in the treatment of contaminated water – in places where people struggle every day to find enough clean water.
Your donation ensures that simple, reliable treatment techniques are used locally: suspended solids are removed, bacteria and viruses are killed, and dirty water is turned into safe drinking water.
