Final Abstract

The average North American shower uses approximately 7.5 Litres of water per minute. The minimum amount of water the UN believes necessary for someone in a developing country to survive is 20L/day, the amount we use in a two minute and 40 second shower. Imagine showering for less than 3 minutes, then not using any water for the rest of the day, including drinking. 1 in 6 children in the world don't even have that much and what they do have is rarely safe to drink.

Through research and some innovative design, a more sustainable and economical way to get clean water to the people that need it most will be found. Working in partnership with thewaterproject.org a real world village in Kenya will be used as a case study to apply the findings and find a better solution for its inhabitants.

This report will answer the question of how the water collection and purification process can be improved in developing countries. It will do this by outlining the water needs of a village based on the number of people as well as special needs like agriculture. It will focus mainly on the collection of rain water but also purification and storage. Materials for the construction of the gutters, cisterns and other items will be analyzed and compared as well as different filtration methods for their economic value and functionality. This report will determine if there is enough rainfall in the region for each home to collect its own water or if a communal water source will also be required. If a communal reserve is required it will determine the most economical and functional way of sharing collected water. It will also compare costs and availability of materials to come up with a solution that will not only be beneficial to this village but to all villages in developing countries all over the world.

Most children in developing countries don’t go to school because they are either too busy walking several kilometers everyday to get water, or are too ill from drinking contaminated water. Families are unable to irrigate land and feed their livestock. There is a solution. Let’s find it.