WaterVest: the solution to the last mile problem Add something about small quantities can be moved, but not family size?
Every year billions of people worldwide face chronic water insecurity; this problem is most acute in dealing with the “last mile delivery of water”. While clean water may be available from a variety of sources, getting quantities sufficient for a family from the source to the point of end use has been a persistent challenge. More than one billion people lack access to clean water in their homes an
d contaminated water causes 3 million deaths annually. 90% of the work gathering/transporting water in Africa is done by females
• Women and girls spend up to 6 hours daily transporting water
• Girls under the age of 15 are twice as likely as boys to be the family member responsible for fetching water
WaterVest solves the problem of water transportation; it is a simple, effective and inexpensive tool for augmenting current systems of providing water during a disaster or in an area of inadequate water infrastructure. The WaterVest is a wearable container constructed from industrial-grade water safe plastic that holds up to 10 gallons- twice the amount of a typical jerrycan, at a fraction of the weight. WaterVest can be deployed during a disaster with water generation/purification systems and/or used in conjunction with any existing source or means of providing fresh, safe drinking water. The WaterVest is:
• Inexpensive, roughly the cost of a heavy duty plastic garbage bag
• “One Size Fits All” The vest is filled to the user’s comfort limit, and no more.
• Water for a family of four for four days. A single bag, carried by one person, can transport 40 liters.
• Prevents contamination of water after filling as it is self-sealing, no more debris falling into open containers and contaminating the water.
• Prevents cross-contamination during end use as the same utensils are not dipped into the supply and shared. No more sharing of germs and disease among a family through a water vector.
• Recyclable and made with environmentally conscientious technology, WaterVest has a minimal ecological footprint.
• Materials are fully “food safe” and do not leach toxins.
• Densely packaged and ruggedized for shipment into even the most austere environments, significantly reducing the logistics costs and burdens. They can be deployed at the same time as water purification units, in sufficient quantities to meet operational needs.
• Other possibilities include adding pharmaceuticals, such as oral re-hydration salts, to aid in the distribution of life sustaining nutrients throughout a community in need.
