In Uganda, over 21 million people lack access to clean drinking water. Contaminated and poor-quality water and sanitation can lead to the spread of illnesses such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio. Many people resort to boiling water to purify it and prevent water-borne diseases. TASC is working to address this problem by financing the distribution of 30,000 ceramic water filters in Western Uganda and monitoring their use. The Purifaaya^TM filters are produced in Uganda by local company Spouts of Africa. They work by filtering water through microscopic holes in the ceramic pot which allows  only clean water through with germs and impurities remaining  behind. Each unit filters up to 3.5 litres of water per hour and they are certified as 99.99% effective by the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment.

Distribution begins with a local sensitisation. Communities are educated on the benefits of the water filter, proper use, and maintenance. The Gold Standard project methodology permits monitoring and issuance of carbon credits for up to 7 years, so TASC and Spouts will replace the ceramic filter after 3 years to ensure the health benefits and CO₂ reductions. With a ceramic filter, households no longer need to boil water to purify it, therefore we can eradicate water boiling and reduce each household’s CO₂ emissions by up to 3 tonnes a year. The Gold Standard methodology recognises the project contribution to Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing). It is incredibly powerful to see Ugandan families enjoying clean water and a life free of water-borne disease. We hope to expand in Uganda and beyond in the coming months.

TASC’s pilot safe water project is forecast to avoid over 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ in the next seven years.