Safe Water – Lifestraw, Kenya

Project Description

The project distributed in rural Kenya over one million LifeStraw® Family units

These units are an instant microbiological purifier that delivers at least 18,000 litres of EPA-quality drinking water, enough to supply a family of five with microbiologically clean drinking water for three years

These point-of-use water filters treat contaminated drinking water, reducing the demand for conventional water treatment through boiling water with non-renewable biomass.  The system requires no electricity or additional consumables beyond the unit itself

With the assistance of carbon finance, this project is economically sustainable and provides a significant improvement in public health

Sustainability Beyond Carbon

First programme directly linking carbon credits with safe drinking water

100,000’s of small household interventions create one of the world’s largest carbon reduction projects

Saves 1.5 million tonnes of wood from being burned each year, slowing deforestation among Kenya’s dwindling woodland. 1.35 million tonnes of CO2 avoided in first 6 months.  By reducing pressure on the forests, it helps to maintain Kenya’s biodiversity

LifeStraw offers a point-of-use water treatment solution, widely seen as an effective means of delivering safe drinking water.  It empowers Kenyans who can now filter their own drinking water

It was planned to deliver an estimated 4.8 billion litres of safe drinking water annually to 4.5 million people

Reduces incidence of waterborne diseases achieving a statistically significant reduction in the odds of diarrhoea, dysentery and severe dehydration among under-5’s using it exclusively

Women and children spend less time gathering and carrying firewood and it reduces their exposure to poor air quality from burning firewood to heat water

It addresses four UN Millennium Development Goals: reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating diseases; and ensuring environmental sustainability

Thousands of jobs have been created locally to distribute filters and monitor usage during twice-yearly campaigns.  User training is provided upon installation

Regular visits continue every 6 months to ensure that the filters are in working condition and that each householder is happy using their filter