Africa Water – What Water Crisis?

Africa Water – What Water Crisis?

by | May 4, 2021 | Emergency Relief, Travel, Water

How the Lack of a Clean Water Source is affecting the Poverty, Education, and Aid resulting by Africa Water

Is Africa water still in crisis?

Although there is safe drinking water in some parts of Africa, an overwhelming number of countries in Africa lack the infrastructure to provide a safe water source for many of their communities. As many as 2,500 people die as the direct result of drinking from a dirty polluted Africa water source every day.  According to David Damberger, an expert on NGO infrastructure in Africa, maintaining the water source infrastructure is where NGOs are failing to provide Africa water, not installing them. In several places, water systems have been reinstalled just meters away from pre-existing ones as funding is provided on the premise that the NGO creates something new.

Human Rights – Safe Drinking Water

Access to clean drinking water from an accessible water source is a fundamental human right. The infrastructure is consistently unreliable, and so governments and NGOs need to invest in alternative solutions like Sure Aqua technology.

Africa needs a way to access safe drinking water when the infrastructure breaks down or becomes polluted. If Africa could be provided with an affordable, reusable, portable water filtration system that doesn’t rely on batteries, electricity, or expensive chemicals, like the Sure Aqua water filter systems, the number of deaths and illnesses in Africa would dramatically decrease.

In much of Africa, water sources are often both scarce and polluted.  In many cases, women and children throughout Africa walk more than 20 kilometers to the nearest water source that contains drinkable Africa water. Even after traveling that far the water often contains harmful bacteria. The benefit of Sure Aqua products is that they are completely portable, providing a safe water source wherever you go.

The Water Solution

With Sure Aqua technology one can drink from any water source, offering the potential to minimize how far the people have to go to collect water and ensuring the water collected is safe to drink. Unfortunately, the time it takes to collect water for many families prevents women from generating income and children from going to school, furthering the cycle of poverty.

East Africa is currently experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. As a result, thousands of families from all over Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia are leaving their communities to seek food and water in one of the increasingly overcrowded and under-equipped refugee camps in the area.

A large proportion of East Africa’s population, especially in Ethiopia, lives off the land. Without water the crops don’t grow, the animals die, and families are left not only without any income but also without food or water.  Attempts are being made to rectify the Africa water situation, but so far, progress hasn’t been able to keep up with the increasing demand for aid.

Be Prepared when travelling to drink water in Africa

Anyone traveling to Africa, especially East Africa, in the recent future should make special precautions to ensure access to a water source and a water purification system. Do some research on the area to find out about the current situation. Also, remember that although people generally don’t wish to harm you, poverty breeds crime, so be street smart to avoid winding up in a sticky situation.

When reading about Africa or planning to travel there, it is vital to grasp how versatile Africa is. Many in the West seem to think of Africa as a single country. We associate it with images of charity commercials featuring starving children with swollen bellies. However, far from this image, Africa is a varied continent. Each country has its own culture, traditions, languages, music, and of course, problems. To have true empathy for Africa, one must understand its joys as well as its sorrows

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Portable Water Purifier Uses

by | Mar 25, 2021 | Travel, Water

A random test conducted by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) revealed contamination by fecal coliform bacteria and e-coli in passenger plane drinking water. Hydration is critical when you’re traveling by air. Knowing the potential risks with airline water, you may be tempted either to purchase expensive bottled water in-flight or to carry bottled water on-board – but how many would you need, and would you be allowed? The answer is simple and far cheaper than you’d imagine. Fly anywhere overseas with your own Sure Aqua product water filter/s slipped into your bum bag, handbag, or backpack. They’re kinder to your health, your pocket, and the environment. Read more on overseas travel

Part of the backpacking ethos is to tread lightly on the earth and to travel responsibly. But you can’t ignore the health risks of potentially drinking contaminated water. With chlorine and iodine water purification treatments tasting so foul, unable to effectively destroy parasites, and causing potential health risks of their own, and with bottled water emerging as a significant Carbon Footprint nightmare, what do you do?

Depending on the Sure Aqua product you select, it will filter up to 500 liters (132 gallons) OR 1000 liters (264 gallons) – enough to get you through any out-of-the-way destination. The fine capillary membrane filters out waterborne bacteria and parasites from tap water, lakes, and creeks. The only ‘footprint’ you’ll leave will be your own. Read more on backpacking

Wherever you overnight under canvas, there’s one common threat. Waterborne bacteria and potentially parasitic cysts are present in every water source worldwide, posing both short and long-term health risks.

No need to boil water. No need to cart gallons of clean drinking water to the camp. No need to worry about bacterial or parasitic contamination. With Sure Aqua products, you can drink from local water supplies with confidence, and the straws even overcome the threat of ‘Beaver Fever. Turn bacteria-contaminated water into clean water with just a sip. Read more on camping

Whether you’re going over the Himalayas, discovering Burma, wandering the length of India, or enjoying the outdoors camping close to your own hometown, you’ll need a fresh supply of pure drinking water. The last thing you want to do is carry the added weight of water with you, but even the most isolated water supplies may be contaminated with animal waste or a carcass further upstream.

Sure Aqua products are so light and compact they slip easily into a side pocket on your rucksack or your pocket and are totally reusable for up to 500 liters (132 gallons) OR 1000 liters (264 gallons) of water, depending on the product chosen. The perfect trekking companion.     Read more on hiking

We all know someone who has had gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and vomiting whilst traveling or on holidays.  But did you know that almost 40-50% of the 220 million people who travel strike some kind of gastroenteritis when traveling?  Astounding!  Some 5% of people lose at least one day of their well-earned holiday.  About 1 person in 250 ends up in a hospital or under a doctor’s supervision.

With the ever-increasing growth of bacteria, influenza’s, viruses, pollution, there is a motive here alone to protect yourself against harmful bacteria and protozoa cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Not even considering the expense of paying for expensive bottled water.

What worse, in most cases 90plus% it is avoidable, by simply drinking from Sure Aqua products, Sure Aqua products or Sure Aqua products, Sure Aqua Bottle Read more on Travel & Holidays

Natural Environmental Disasters or Emergency Floods, tornadoes, typhoons, tsunami, cyclones, blizzards, and violent storms are becoming more and more prevalent.  We will all encounter a natural disaster one day.  Unfortunately with natural disasters brings destruction of essential infrastructures like electricity and water treatment plants. It is becoming more and more important to prepare one’s family and oneself to manage your way through the aftermath of the natural disaster.

The Sure Aqua range of products can support you to provide one of the essential element to keeping healthy after a natural disaster, the provision of healthy water.  All our products remove 99.9999% of unwanted bacteria, protozoa’s cysts, like Giardia and Cryptosporidium.  Our Sure Aqua Bottle and Sure Aqua products+ also remove Viruses.  Prepare your family and yourself.  Read more on Disasters and Emergency

Daily Use On average, each person in a developed country drinks 5.3 liters of bottled water per week. That’s a staggering 1.2 billion plastic bottles per year in the US alone. With only around 20% being recycled, most of the plastic bottles go straight into landfills.  That’s many valleys of landfill.

Also, did you know that it is legal to sell tap water in bottles without telling the consumer, you, if it is sold in the state it is bottled?

The Sure Aqua product range, the amount of landfill can be massively reduced, and you can drink purified water at a fraction of the cost. Help the environment and your hip pocket. Convert Read more of Daily Use

Why Are Sure Aqua products Ideal Drinking Water Straws?

Water filter straws using carbon and iodine advise short-term use, are not always effective against parasitic cysts, and may advise contra-indications for use similar to iodine-based water treatments. Both tablets and chemical straws leave an unpleasant after-taste and often odor.

Sure Aqua products water straws leave no unpleasant after-taste and filter waterborne bacteria and e-coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium cysts and spores from your drinking water by using a microfiltration membrane of 0.2 microns – absolutely no chemicals.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are a major cause of diarrhea and gastrointestinal tract infection and can be found in water sources worldwide. By packing one of these Sure Aqua products hiking gear water filters, you can relax and enjoy safe, filtered water. When you’re traveling, hiking, and camping, you can’t always guarantee you’ll find a trusted source of clean drinking water. Relax. Now you have Sure Aqua products drinking water straws

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No More Water Purification Tablets

by | Mar 24, 2021 | Health, Travel, Trekking, Water

Would You Use Harsh Water Tablets If There Were a Safer Alternative?

Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate, a component of some water purification tablets, is the same substance used for disinfecting swimming pools.  While in water tablet form it is diluted, warnings include ‘irritating to eyes and respiratory system’ ‘harmful’ ‘burns’ ‘sore throats’ ‘contact with acids liberates toxic gas’ etcetera.  While its warning ‘harmful to aquatic organisms, it is a key compound used in water tablets.  While there are instances when it or a similar compound simply must be used, why would you if you didn’t have to?

On most occasions when you’re traveling, your need is to have safe drinking water. There is a need to ensure that the water you drink is pure.  In third-world municipal tap water, this is often questionable.  It is each person’s responsibility to ensure you have safe drinking water.  More than likely, the water in these areas is from rivers, streams, wells, lakes, or pond water to contain dangerous pathogens.

Historically, water purification tablets have been used.  Ther contain a chemical armory of a water purifying tablet that can include tongue twisters such as sodium carboxy-methylcellulose, polyacrylamide, sodium carbonate, and aluminum sulfate. Often it could be sheer overkill and dangerous for your body, When Sure Aqua products chemical-free water filter will do the job perfectly.

Water purifying tablets often come with advice to use in the short term only and include a warning to “Keep Out of Reach of Children,” whereas, with Sure Aqua, we want kids to love using our water drinking devices. Because each water is chemical-free, they can.

Choosing the Right Water Treatment for Each Application

There are many different types of water purification systems on the market. Pump action filters, units worth hundreds of dollars designed to purify extreme biological contamination, liquids that use components such as sodium hypochlorite yet may not filter out dangerous Cryptosporidium, water purifier tablets, and reusable Sure Aqua products filter straws providing a pocket-sized yet powerful drinking water purification system for up to 500 liters (132 gallons).

The Sure Aqua products are high-quality water filtration straws, yet we acknowledge in some instances more aggressive water sanitation may need to be used in conjunction with Sure Aqua products. A water purification tablet is best used against waterborne viruses, such as Hepatitis, and chemical contaminants, yet are ineffective against Giardia and Cryptosporidium, which are filtered out effectively by Sure Aqua products.

Sure Aqua products Manufactured to Worldwide Water Filtration Standards

Sure Aqua drinking water filter straws were tested by a laboratory approved by the international accreditation body, NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) to be successful against waterborne disease-causing bacteria, e-coli, staphylococcus, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, coliforms, and more.

Laboratories worldwide test for 0.4 to 0.45-micron filter capability – Sure Aqua products water filter straws are 0.2 microns, coming inside worldwide portable water filtration standards.

Now there’s a safer, chemical-free alternative to water tablets, why wouldn’t you use it.

 

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Why Risk Gut-Wrenching Water Poisoning When It’s so Easy to Avoid

Why Risk Gut-Wrenching Water Poisoning When It’s so Easy to Avoid

by | Mar 23, 2021 | Travel, Water

An estimated 40% of travelers fall sick with gastro poisoning, losing anywhere up to 4 days from their holiday. Imagine being on your dream holiday and coming down with diarrhea, vomiting, and severe cramps – imagine if it was one of your children – all because you didn’t avoid risky foods or use a simple Sure Aqua products water filter.

Wide-Spread Water Poisoning Issues

Healthy drinking water is vital to our health. Each country has its own protection authority monitoring drinking water quality, but how effective these agencies can be in detecting and removing pollution in water systems depends on the resources made available to them, environmental issues, and the level of industrial and farming controls.

More People dieing form water diseases than Covid-19

what water product to choose while traveling

Water poisoning very often comes from PBTs (persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals), possibly more commonly known as the organochlorines – industrial agents including the extremely harmful dioxins.

 Water poison can originate from farming and suburban run-off in the form of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals, while asbestos fibers, heavy metals, organic and inorganic sediment, and water lead poisoning are all severely damaging the environment and threatening our health.

 It’s not only man-made substances that cause poisoned water sources. That clean, flowing stream you’re drinking from could contain naturally occurring contaminants that are poisonous to our bodies, such as e-coli and parasitic cysts.

 Dysentery is worldwide but plagues developing countries. Spread by poor hygiene and through water poisoned by human sewage, the bacilli penetrate and ulcerate the intestine, causing debilitating blood-stained pussy diarrhea.

Sources of Healthy Drinking Water

Though bottled water may first spring to mind, when even the World Health Organization is warning of possible health complications from the transportation and storage of bottled water*, you have to sit up and take notice.

In Western countries, while tap water is generally healthy, environmental factors such as drought or flooding, or mishap at the water filtration plant, or pipe corrosion, may result in poisoned water. It’s not unheard of for the residents of even significant cities to have to boil their water due to parasitic infiltration.

In one major U.S. city, reportedly 400,000 residents became ill through swallowing Cryptosporidium oocysts. From the oocysts, the parasites emerge, as with Giardia cysts, to live and reproduce inside the small intestine causing severe, diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and fever.

Sure Aqua Water Filtration is 10 Times Finer

Sure Aqua filters out e-coli, parasitic protozoa, and other forms of bacterial poison. Hot water and brackish water are the only exceptions for not using the Sure Aqua products.

The Sure Aqua products are so effective because the microfiltration membrane is 10 times finer than the smallest microbe and for the virus’s products 5 times smaller.  It provides an excellent state of mind knowing the drinking water is safe and high quality and gives you confidence  as you travel overseas or go camping in your own home.

 Why would you let water-based poisoning ruin your holiday when it’s so easy to avoid?

 

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10 Ways to avoid dysentry on holidays

10 Ways to avoid dysentry on holidays

by | Aug 10, 2020 | Camping, Outdoor, Travel

10 Ways to avoid Dysentry on holidays

It only takes the slightest drop of contaminated water to get dysentery!

Pick any one of the bacteria and virus from the table below. Each one has the potential.. They are not only found in third world countries. They are spread across the globe.

Escherichia coli
E coli, enterotoxigenic
E. coli, enteroaggregative
E. coli, enteroinvasive
Shigella spp
Salmonella spp
Campylobacter jejuni
Vibrio parahemolyticus,
Aeromonas hydrophila
Giardia lamblia
Entamoeba histolytica
Cryptosporidium sp
Rotavirus
Norwalk virus

Did you know that approximately 1 in 4 people who travel for over a week will become ill (some studies show even higher) due to contaminated water?  

In 2019 over 10 million documented people contracted some form of dysentery while camping or traveling. In some cases, it is mild though 1 in 7.3 people lose at least 1 day of their holidays, and 1 in 2117 are hospitalized.

These statistics are a little frightening and avoidable with a little precaution. Find out more later in this article.

 

What is dysentry?

Dysentery impacts the body’s digestive systems caused by directly related to drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food. The symptoms include

Diarrhea.  could contain mucus and blood in the feces

  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Fever
  • Dyhydration
  • Dizziness

There are two main types of dysentery;Bacterial dysentery– it can originate the bacteria types Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, enterohemorrhagic E. coli, to name a few. There are over 500,000 cases Trusted Source diagnosed in the United States each year.

Amebic dysentery is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite.
Dysentery should not be taken lightly. It can be fatal. It does have long term impacts on the human body including;

Some interesting facts to ponder about drinking water quality

We often take drinking water for granted. There are some alarming facts and government and authority behaviors that, to say the least, interesting. Read and be amazed

  • In the US, more than 45% of bottled water is just tap water. FDA approves the process when sold in the State that it is bottled
  • Even in “so-called” developed worlds, an estimated 46% of catchment water has unacceptable levels of Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
  • All countries around the world have significantly reported numbers of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Gastroenteritis outbreaks. Over 20 million holiday days are being lost per year due to water-related illnesses.
  • Many of the filters still let unacceptable levels of Giardia and Cryptosporidium through to the consumer. Filters should remove anything larger than 1 micron (US CDC recommendation) as giardia, and Cryptosporidium cysts can be that small as well as harmful bacteria.
  • Most, more than 80%, ‘so-called’ freshwater streams in remote regions are unsuitable for drinking due to the contamination of giardia or cryptosporidium via animal droppings upstream.
  • Bottled water is not necessarily bacteria-free. It is dependent on the bottling process.

The naked eye cannot see bacteria, cysts, and viruses in water. They appear invisible. You need to have laboratory equipment to identify waterborne bacteria and cysts

How to avoiding dysentery – water-related Illnesses

We have listed 10 ways to avoid dysentery and Gastroenteritis.  Taking these simple precautions can and will significantly reduce the risk of becoming ill from contaminated water.

 

1. Avoid drinking tap water

In most countries, including developed nations, drinking water quality is very suspectable and questionable at best. There are regular outbreaks of giardia and cryptosporidium in most countries.

When you live in a particular environment for long enough, your body adapts. With reference to water intake, their digestive systems build immunity to certain strains of bacteria and cysts in the water.
Even though this may be the case, where hygiene is poor or nonexistent, the number of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Gastroenteritis outbreaks is significantly prominent. This particularly prevalent in the third world where hygiene levels in low.

 

For people traveling from a developed country, it is common, one in five people will be adversely affected by water no matter what country they live in. This is due to the digestive systems as the immunity system is not as developed and prone to adverse effects. For this reason, people from developed countries are significantly more prone to dysentery. Some statistics stating its one in two people are affected.

In the US, in 2019, some 46% of tested water supplies exceeded America’s water governing limits on safe water. ( Levels of Giardia, Cryptosporidium or Gastroenteritis related bacteria). In France, the statistic is 37%, Nigeria 67%, South Africa 58%, and so it goes on.

Each of these countries has elaborated water cleansing plants, including filtration and chemical disinfectants, to purify water for consumption.
 

It does not take much for these bacteria, and viruses enter into the system post this cleansing process.
It is advised to be very careful of drinking tap water in especially when traveling. The probability that increases significantly in getting sick is very high.

There are several methods to kill or remove bacteria, cysts, and viruses, such as boiling the water, adding chemicals, or filtering. Remember, the filter to be effective should be at least 0.5 microns. SureAqua products remove 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses, using its membrane technology.

2. Avoid drinking Bottled water ?

Just because it’s in a bottle doesn’t mean it is free of bacteria and viruses. All it means is that you have paid for the water and purchased another plastic bottle.

In many countries around the world, there is little to no regulatory standards regarding the quality of water being bottled. In the US, for example, it is legal (FDA approved) to sell tap water.

In third world countries, the bottled water industry is very unscrupulous and uses many unethical and immoral practices to sell water. This includes recycling water, using un-cleaned water bottles and filling it with plain tap water, and re-sealing the caps.

 

There are many brands that supply spring water, mountain freshwater, glacial water, etc. It should be noted that the water from these sources is just as likely to be contaminated as any other water source. Studies have identified that there are often high levels of chemicals, Giardia, Cryptosporidium. This causes gastroenteritis because of the bacteria that enter your digestive systems.

Picture this, a company taking water from a stream in the mountains. It portrays is as healthy and clean. If the camera moves up, you see that there is a farm upstream with cattle or some other farm that uses fertilizers. One of the main spreaders of bacteria is birds. They are somewhat immune to the bad bacteria. Ther feces are spread wherever they fly. From here, local animals eat these feces, and their feces end up in the water system. It results in an incredibly high percentage of animals having Giardia and Cryptosporidium cysts in the digestive systems. Their feces all eventually end up in our water systems.

There are many reputable water manufacturers that filter and or purify the water to remove bacteria effectively. Because it is such a big industry and not well regulated, there are an element of some manufactures taking short cuts.

Studies have shown that where what appeared to be bacteria-free water in bottled water during the manufacturing process, bacteria can come out of a ‘hibernation’ after some time in certain conditions. This prone to happen when bottled water is stored for many months in hot conditions before use. This appears to activated the growth of bacteria.

Are you willing to take the risk?

 

3. Only eat peeled fruit

Most fruit is our society has been sprayed with insecticide, washed with water to remove it before it reached consumers. The source of the water, in many instances, may not have been filtered or purified. There is every chance that there is bacterial growth on the surface of the fruit.

Even though the fruit may be dry when you receive it, it would be best if you are not able to wash it thooughly to peel the fruit before eating it.

Another option only to eat fruit that you can peel.

4. Avoid eating uncooked salads such as green salads and the like

When you are traveling to countries where hygeniw standards are not high, it is suggested when you eat at out in restaurants, avoid ordering uncooked side salads. The salads usually are typically washed under tap water. Even if they said they say, they wash their salads in bottled water, see what we say about bottled water earlier in this article.
Play it safe by only eating cooked food.
Should you have severe cravings for salads, purchase your vegetables, then you are in control of cleaning them correctly.

5. Avoid poor hygiene

Having good personal hygiene is paramount when traveling. The risk of getting dysentery significantly increases with poor hygiene. Dysentery can spread like wildfire in a group. It only takes one person in a group to have poor hygiene to cause an outbreak. It is very common when one person in a traveling group that many people in the group will also fall ill because of not taking precautions.
Some tips include for good hygiene include;

  • Avoid placing your hands in your mouth
  • Avoid place objects in your mouth
  • Wash your hands thoroughly, including between your fingers, back of hands, and your wrists.
  • When using public toilets, thoroughly wash your hands after going to the toilet.
  • When you leave the bathroom, use some paper towel to open and close the door, as the previous person may not have washed their hands.
  • Always wash your hands thoroughly before meals
  • Cutlery should be wiped with some disinfection wipes.

6. Avoid using hotel tap water to clean teeth

Many of the top-end 5-star hotels have integrated water filtration and purification plant into their water supply. This is a costly exercise and needs constant monitoring to ensure a constant supply of filtered/purified water. The 5-star hotels can afford to maintain it, whereas lower-cost hotels don’t have the capability.

If you are not staying in a 5-star hotel, either use reputable bottled water or pre-boiled the water for use.

Coming soon is the SureAquaTap connection, which will, as the name suggests, connect directly to the tap and filter for immediate use.

7. Avoid having ice in alcoholic drinks

Did you know that bacteria can survive being frozen?

Ice in drinks can easily carry bacteria that can cause your illness. Waterborne bacteria and cysts can survive water temperatures from minus 40⁰ degrees to plus 60⁰ degrees Celsius.

8 Avoid opening your mouth in the shower

It only takes a drop of contaminated water to get sick. One of the places where you can get sick is from the shower, with water accidentally going into your mouth. Since the water in showers usually is hot, bacteria might be less likely to survive. The risk is relatively low compared to other ways of catching illness through the water.

9 Do not rely on iodine or chlorine tablets to effectively remove bacteria from your water.

The US Army has published a paper indicating that standard iodine or chlorine tablets are ineffective against Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts. They state that the levels of chlorine or iodine need to be a level that makes the water undrinkable.

Secondly, there is a large school of thought, even should the iodine or chlorine that can kill the bacteria and cysts need to be in the water for some time. Suggestions the chemicals should be in the water for a couple of hours. This makes it unpractical in many circumstances.

Furthermore, the use of chemicals can be detrimental for people with thyroid conditions, young children’s growth, and pregnant women.

10 Avoid drinking locally made soft drinks or local beer and where there are known water problems.

Beer and soft drinks are predominantly water-based with added ingredients. In many manufacturing processes, the water is not treated to remove undesirable bacteria or cysts. In countries where the water quality is recognized as poor, there is potential the soft drink or alcohol to contain bacteria.

Only drink well known soft drinks and beer from countries where you know the water has been treated adequately.

Final Say

I hope this article helps you with some useful tips on how to avoid getting sick from contaminated water.

For input into this article, please feel free to send comments to  enquiry@SureaAqua.com

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