Wijesekera notes that there are numerous pilot programs around the globe that are testing in-home treatment technologies. But these can also be a burden on those who use them, so the hope would be to eventually have water piped much closer to home—if not in the actual premises.
Portable potable test
One of the reasons that the U.N. relies on improved sources as a measure of drinking water access rather than actual safety is that the latter is much more difficult to assess than counting wells and spigots. "It just isn't feasible to do bacterial tests," Wijesekera says.
"Over the last 20 years, there has not really been the capability in most developing countries to test water across the country," Gundry notes. For traditional, standard tests, water samples need to be kept below 4 degrees Celsius after collection until they are delivered to a lab where they can be cultured and examined under a microscope for microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli. To maintain that cool temperature, technicians need ice, which is often unobtainable in remote villages that do not have electricity. And labs are often ill-equipped and far away. "The barriers to getting samples in developing countries are fairly insurmountable," Gundry says.
Many groups are trying to tackle this problem. The challenge, Wijesekera says, is to make a test that is affordable, quick and can be used easily by people in the field who are not water quality experts.
Gundry and his colleagues have developed one possible solution. Called Aquatest, it is a compact, field-ready tool that provides a simple reading about the presence of E. coli within about 24 hours. They now have some 20,000 devices out in the field being used globally, and they are looking for a commercial partner to help increase production and distribution. But this and other devices will likely need much more evaluation before the U.N. and others can confidently mandate this sort of on-site water safety testing worldwide to truly get a bead on global access to safe water.
New focus on safety
Those at the U.N., WHO, UNICEF and other organizations are already starting to discuss how assessments might change after the 2015 MDG deadline has passed and the international community sets new targets. Gundry and others are hopeful that water safety will garner higher priority.
In the absence of better water safety data, Wijesekera notes that improved measurement of water sources is at least the best indicator that they currently have. And it underscores the progress that has been made in delivering protected water supplies to more people.
Nevertheless, whether there are 800 million or 1.8 billion people who lack safe water, the scourge of preventable deadly diarrheal and other waterborne diseases will continue to plague too many.
As Wijesekera points out, even the current WHO statistics "draw attention to the unfinished agenda" of improved water reaching another 800 million people and safe water reaching some one billion more. "It's not just enough to make progress on a broad front," he says. But many of these people are among the poorest 20 percent on the planet and can be "the hardest to reach—physically and politically," he notes.
And those who are falling into the gap, who have improved but unsafe water, are likely going to be difficult to help as well, especially without widespread, affordable water quality tests. Moving people from surface water collection to a new, protected well is much easier to see as progress than repairing a old well's housing. As the development community continues to focus on installing new pipes and drilling new wells for the large number of people with unimproved water sources, those whose infrastructures had been improved but are now failing often fail to get as much aid and attention.
Rights & Permissions
See what we're tweeting about
10 Comments
Add CommentI hate to have to mention it, but a significant factor in this equation is that the global population has nearly tripled since 1950 - the supply of potable water has not. Moreover, the increase in population has come disproportionately in areas where potable water is exceedingly scarce. I do not want to see anyone suffer - potable water (and food) cannot be continually supplied to an ever increasing global population.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe root cause must be effectively addressed.
What part of population control is such a mystery? Average children per woman in Kentys is 7.1 In Canada it's 1.3
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOnly action I support is vending machines on every corner of every street in every village dispensing free condoms and birth control pills.
I said it once and its worth repeating:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFirst stop polluting perfectly good water and pumping it underground to get Natural Gas!! Why in hell are we allowing Gas companies to pump water that has been contaminated with chemicals into the ground where it will likely remain for hundreds of years or until people decide they have to pump it out and clean it in order to drink it? Human beings are the most retarded of species! The deficate right in the same place they eat and then invite others to come over do the same all so they drive around in cars! The answer is obvious and right under our noses but greed stops us from taking the obvious course to correct these most basic of problems!
If you want to talk about population control issues; one should look at the fact that researchers and governments are spending huge amounts of money trying stop Malaria thereby saving millions of lives! I am all for saving lives but if you save lives you have to also spend money on figuring out how in hell you are going to support the addition of another million plus people in countries that already cannot sustain the people already alive! No food, water, job prospects, and no infrastructure - what are we doing? Common sense says spend money figuring out how support the people alive first then worry about those dying from diseases which are most likely here as a natural form of population control!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have never understood why the feminist movement have not done more to liberate their sisters from the oppressive traditions prevalent in male dominated societies where women often have no more status than beasts of burden. The two most effective means of achieving a lower population is education & much more equal rights between the sexes. When women have access to education & are able to say no, particularly without contraceptive protection, all the other things will fall into place. Corruption is by far the greatest hindrance to the advancement of under developed societies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs for disease control, birth rates have always decreased when societies have become healthier.
On the physical side of the water supply problem, just imagine how much could have been done with the money wasted on AGW.
The most tragic side of this situation is that those in dire need of help are those least able to help themselves, and often the ones with birth rates that are completely unsustainable now, not just in the future.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisQuote: birth rates that are completely unsustainable now, not just in the future
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnswer: We build massive structures to grow food. It is a pretty simple solution and anybody who says it cannot be done is either very stupid or has an agenda which they haven't fully researched. Imho.
"30-story building built in 15 days"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"In 2013 we will build 20 buildings a month and by 2014, we'll be up to 50 buildings a month"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdpf-MQM9vY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_farming
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Vertical farming is a concept that argues that it is economically and environmentally viable to cultivate plant or animal life within skyscrapers, or on vertically inclined surfaces."
http://www.verticalfarm.com/
Actually, the single most effective way to reduce population is to increase urbanization. Africa's population except two or three countries) is rather low by European and Asian standards. The problem is lack of communication and infrastructure. Water can be recycled.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this