A Healthy Life Starts with Clean Drinking Water

One person’s story inspires innovators to create water filtration systems

to benefit those in need.

Her name was Christian Joy, symbolizing a soulful feeling and a follower of Jesus Christ. She was a
young Filipino child with a bright future ahead of her. She was born and raised in the third largest city in the
Philippines. She was a friend to many, but to her parents, she was the daughter who was the center of their
whole world. However, at the age of four, she died in her mother's arms at a local hospital from a waterborne
disease found in contaminated water. But little did she know her life would inspire change in the Philippines for
future generations to come.
It has been a challenging couple of decades for the
people of the Philippines. The adults and children around
Christian Joy have been afflicted with numerous
waterborne contaminants. Experts say over one-third of
the child population is exposed to waterborne diseases
alone (Palanca-Tan, 2020). Among them, fifty percent
die due to poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water
conditions. Some of them don't even get to live past their
fifth birthday (Lin et al., 2020). A situation that
developed countries will never face since they have
access to clean water.
Image: Girl collecting dirty water from water source

Image: Girl collecting dirty water from water source

https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/dirty-tap-water- Everyone should have the right to clean water.
complaints-noida-sector-19-muddy-water-supply-ganga According to World Vision, that's not possible for
-canal-556350
everyone. It's due to multiple factors, including a lack of
"physical, demographic, geopolitical and economic conditions in some countries” (Bidaisee, 2018).

Clean water is essential to human survival.

 Water gives us a better quality of life. It regulates our body temperatures, removes toxins, and transports
nutrients throughout the body (Bidaisee, 2018). Therefore, everyone should have access to clean drinking water
as a priority. "It's quite alarming," according to Satesh Bidaisee, a professor of Public Health and Prevention
Medicine at the University of St George, "that individuals would rather consume and utilize unsanitary drinking
water knowing its negative implications.”
Those in the Philippines, they're not given the option. "Only 47% of freshwater bodies retain good water
quality while the other 58% tested positive for contamination," the Environmental Management Bureau
emphasizes (Lin et al., 2020). Products like toxic chemicals, organic and inorganic substances, dead animals,
and feces are dumped into the rivers and oceans of
developing countries daily. They contaminate the
water, providing a breeding ground for viruses and
bacteria to grow.

Some can cause deadly diseases in humans. It can

lead to cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, and diarrhea
(Bidaisee, 2018). These diseases can cause
dehydration and malnutrition, leading to serious
health issues. For instance, diarrheal diseases from
Image: Source of groundwater contaminants cholera are responsible for over a hundred thousand
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2018/09/groundwater-the-sixth deaths in the Philippines alone (Palanca-Tan, 2020).
-great-lake/flow-groundwater-contamination-infographic/ It's common for children and adults, especially in
underdeveloped countries with limited medical assistance, to die from waterborne diseases.

Every glass of dirty water has the potential to kill.

Most of these diseases aren't found in developed countries because water filtration systems are installed
to filter and chlorinate the water, eliminating these disease carrying organisms. However, the developing
countries continue to suffer without it.
With every glass of dirty water, people perish. Life becomes exhausting, unhealthy, and limiting. Poor
irrigation systems decrease food production, people cannot get an education, and poverty continues, leaving a
poor global economy (Bidaisee, 2018). These conditions contribute to the spread of illnesses. Thousands of
children and adults contract these diseases from contaminated waters without knowing they have it. Over time
they infect the rest of the body, becoming fatal and resulting in death.
Without access to health care, how can healthcare providers treat these diseases before it's too late? For
instance, Christian Joy possibly suffered from symptoms of diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking water,
given the parasitic worms in her stomach that were treated too late. Research Center for Economy of Upper
Reaches of Yangtse stresses, "Diarrhea is one of the most common diseases caused by water pollution and the
leading cause of death in young children” (Lin et al., 2020). It's terrifying to believe that 21% of the annual
deaths are among children under five years old (Lin et al., 2020). The absence of a health care system brings a
significant fatality that needs to be addressed where people are exposed to waterborne diseases every day.
Those who don't have access to clean drinking water are suffering. The lack of proper sanitation
increases the spread of diseases and high fatality rates, but overall, it robs fundamental human rights.
So how long can we ignore this before it becomes a real
issue? Darrel Nelson saw firsthand how the lack of access to clean
drinking water devastated the Philippines before becoming the
Founder and CEO of Clean Water International. For instance, his
friend told him the story of a young Filipino girl named Christian
Joy who was in the hospital with her parents due to a waterborne
disease:
"Her parents had no money, so they didn't have access to the
medical system. Instead, they brought them to a friend of ours. She
was given medication, and overnight, she vomited 4 pounds of
worms, and now her weight was 18 pounds suffering from
malnutrition. So, the next day the parents visited her. I was told the Darrell Nelson. Founder and CEO of Clean Water
little girl in her bed waved her mom to come near her, and she International

whispered to her, "I'm going to go for a walk in a very far place," and minutes later, she died in her mother's
arms."
A tragic end like hers requires clarity on why sustainable development goals are still being delayed.
"Why is this continuing to happen in today's world?" says Darrel Nelson, devastated over the death of a young
girl filled with hope and promises of
the future. “This is 2010; you know
what? We're here in 2023, and it really
isn't much better." People are too busy
focused on different matters than the
one we have at hand: lack of clean
water across the world. Did you know
97% of the world's water is salt water
while the other 3% is fresh water
trapped in glaciers (Lin et al., 2020)?
Image: Sources of Water
Pretty soon, no fresh water will be
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/drink-water-infographic
available, and we must rely on water
filtration systems to provide us with filtered water. Water issues need to take presentence as water is needed for
human civilization to survive.
From Christian Joy's story, Darrell Nelson founded Clean Water International to "believe in every
child's right to clean, safe water." As a result of personal experience in the Philippines, Delfin Gentallan joined
the cause by becoming the executive director of Clean Water International.
To solve the unsanitary conditions in developing countries, Clean Water International began to create
water filtration systems that would be accessible to communities in need. Their products are ceramic water
filters, bio-sand filters, and emergency response filtration systems.
Nelson emphasizes the creation of water filtration systems "made
from 100% of local materials" to ensure low cost and no import
shipping problems. He assures everyone "they were developed to be
easy to use and maintain," ensuring that everyone could have access
to clean drinking water without a worry.

Everyone around the world needs clean drinking water to

Image: Ceramic Water Filter function. But reversing the environmental conditions that
https://cleanwaterinternational.org/water-
sanitation-and-hygiene-technologies/ contaminated water has on the Philippines will take a significantly
long time.

It all starts with these water filtration systems that help provide water to different groups of people. Those
who live in households with ceramic water
filters will benefit from their capability to filter
out bacteria and sediment from drinking water
(Our Technologies | Clean Water
International, 2021). In communities, bio-
sand filters use biochemical and physical
processes to filter out bacteria, viruses, and
chemicals. It allows water to flow through the
filter and removes the pathogens, iron, and
manganese from the drinking water (Our
Image: Bio-sand Filteration System
Technologies | Clean Water International, https://cleanwaterinternational.org/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-
technologies/
2021). In times of global pandemic, both these
filters will be able to eliminate the presence of viruses, so don't worry about being infected. As a matter of fact,
a case study in Nigeria tested the quality control of both the ceramic and bio-sand filters. Sanitation and
Hygiene for Development advocates "97% efficiency of bacterial and viral removal in the filters when testing
them for production and quality," influencing that these filtration systems are excellent for providing clean
water for those in need (Erhuanga et al., 2020).
Will they be helpful in times of natural disasters? Probably not, but Darrell Nelson advocates using
Emergency Response Filtration Systems in times of trouble. "When Typhoon Yolanda hit," these filtration
systems helped communities in times of need. The help of the Sawyer Point One System and Ceramic water
Filters, since they're portable and easy to use, allow everyone reliable access to safe water in their communities
(Our Technologies | Clean Water International, 2021). Even in trouble, no one is at risk of drinking
contaminated water.
With clean water, everything changes. The focus on providing the Philippines with clean drinking water
have changed their lives for the better. “One little boy hasn’t seen the hospital since. He’s been doing well in
terms of health and attending school,” says David Nelson proudly. He also adds that adults and babies’ rashes
have been disappearing by having access to clean water. It helps adults to receive job opportunities and
advancements within their employment.
As a society, we need to acknowledge that everyone needs clean water to have a healthier life. There are
many benefits that everyone can take advantage of as a result of it, such as:
o Improving education for people of all ages
o It helps people practice better hygiene to prevent infections and diseases
o To increase food production by providing better irrigation systems to promote a better global economy
o It helps with nutrient absorption in food breakdown to provide better health for individuals

So, remember its everyone’s right for a better quality of life. As clean water is a universal right and should
never be neglected.

Image: A child drinking clean water

https://cleanwaterinternational.org/wate-sanitation-and-hygiene-technologies/
 References

Bidaisee, S. (2018). The Importance of Clean Water. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research,

8(5). https://doi.org/10.26717/bjstr.2018.08.001719

Erhuanga, E., Banda, M. M., Kiakubu, D., Kashim, I. B., Ogunjobi, B., Jurji, Z., Ayoola, I., & Soboyejo, W.

(2020). Potential of ceramic and biosand water filters as low-cost point-of-use water treatment options

for household use in Nigeria. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 11(1), 126–

140. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2020.096

Lin, L., Yang, H., & Xu, X. (2020). Effects of Water Pollution on human Health and Diseases: A Review.

Frontiers in Environmental Science. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.880246/full

Our Technologies | Clean Water International. (2021, June 24). Clean Water International.

https://cleanwaterinternational.org/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-technologies/

Palanca-Tan, R. (2020). Global Water Shortages: A Philippines Case Study - ProQuest. www.proquest.com.
https://www.proquest.com/docview/2395271609?fromopenview=true&pq-origsite=gscholar