A
n estimated 700 to 800 million people across the world
do not have access to clean drinking water, according
to the United Nations. Now a charitable organization
based in Bridgeville is taking action to change that, one
filter at a time.
Last December, Michael Stubna of Collier
Township launched Ceramic Water Filter Solutions, a non-
profit organization dedicated to the manufacturing of ceramic
water filters, as well as the education and training necessary to
use them.
Stubna, a retired horticulturist, launched the organization
after he participated in a few mission trips with his church and
saw first-hand how severe the problem is.
“People don’t realize how much the cycle of poverty stems
from a lack of access to clean water,” says Stubna, 68. “It leads
to sickness, which leads to a stunted growth rate, which leads to
being absent from school, which perpetuates the cycle.”
When he returned from his mission trips, he grew determined
to find a way to help.
“I saw how people had plenty of access to water, but had no
access to clean water,” explains Stubna. “It’s not safe to drink or
cook with.”
After connecting with the Potters Water Action Group in
Braddock, Stubna realized how a low-cost ceramic water filter,
made from native materials like clay and sawdust, can transform
undrinkable, bacteria-laden water into potable water.
The filters are creating by mixing local clay with a burnable
material, such as sawdust or rice husks. When the clay is fired,
the friable material burns out, leaving “micro pores” that filter out
particulates from the water. After they are fired, the pots are then
treated with colloidal silver, which acts as an antibacterial and
anti-algae agent. According to the World Health Organization,
the pots are effective at filtering 99 percent of the bacteria in
water—and are as equally effective as boiling water, which is
both cost-prohibitive and time consuming.
“The filters work so well that they can remove the color from
Coke,” Stubna notes. “They won’t take the sugar out, but they
will remove the color.”
The filter sits on top of a spouted 5-gallon bucket and
produces about 2 to 3 liters of potable water an hour. A family
can expect to produce around 70 liters of clean drinking water a
day, says Stubna, and the impact is instantaneous.
“I’ve never seen a device make such an immediate difference at
such a small cost,” he adds.
The ceramic filters are simple-to-use, passive devices. All
users have to do is pour water in the filter and let it work. The
filters also are essential during natural disasters, when potable
water is scarce.
“You pour the water in and a short time later, you’ve got clean
water. You don’t need new infrastructure or electric. You don’t
need anything else,” he says.
Each filter will serve a family for about two years. Despite the
benefits the filters provide, families can lose interest in using
them, especially because over time, the flow rate will drop.
“I’VE NEVER SEEN A DEVICE MAKE
SUCH AN IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE
AT SUCH A SMALL COST.”
“Without education and follow-up, we lose a percentage of
users every month,” explains Stubna. “We can help them make
the filters, and teach them how to use them, but we can only offer
help. We can’t force people to use them.”
One ceramic water filter can serve a family of four–although a
family of four is considered an anomaly in developing countries,
says Stubna. Most households have eight or ten family members
living together, he points out.
Cost, of course, is the overriding factor. It costs between
$20,000 and $50,000 to start a ceramic water filter factory, and
developing countries do not have the money to build one.
“You can’t tell people in Nepal that they need to come up with
$50,000 for a factory,” says Stubna. “They don’t have it.”
Like many charitable organizations, Ceramic Water Filter
Solutions relies on fundraising and donations to fund its work.
The group has conducted missions in Kathmandu, Nepal; Osun
State, Nigeria; and Tuxtla Gutiérrez Chiapas, Mexico. A project
in Cuatrociénegas-Coahuila, Mexico, has stalled due to lack of
funding.
“Raising money is extremely difficult. We’re competing with a
lot of different and equally valuable projects,” Stubna says.
Despite these challenges, he and his organization remain
committed to this invaluable work. They’re working with
volunteer organizations nationwide to help improve the lives of
people around the world. After all, he points out, safe water is a
right, not a privilege.
“Every day, I get 10 times more back than what I gave,” he
humbly states. “After all, how many people’s lives are going to
change with this simple device?”
Ceramic Water Filter Solutions is always looking for
volunteers and to partner with existing outreach organizations.
For more information or to donate, visit ceramicwaterfilter.org. n
Chartiers Valley | Fall 2017 | icmags.com 19