Over the course of ten years EDGE OUTREACH has helped people in more than 20 countries solve problems with unsafe drinking water (bacterial contamination) and community health. It has gained experience in a number of simple, appropriate technologies that help purify water. However, EDGE has found the process of working with communities is even more important than the technical solutions.

Appropriate water technologies

When a community decides it would like to address problems of waterborne disease EDGE helps them consider factors that lead to appropriate solutions, e.g. number of people that rely on the water source, daily water requirements, water source, presence/absence of electricity on the site, locations water needs to be dispensed.

While EDGE has found some technologies are more effective than others it does promote any 'one size fits all' solution to unsafe drinking water. There are two types of solutions it has found to be the most effective on a long-term basis:

Community Scale Solutions

Sites requiring several hundred to thousands of gallons of water/day usually need the higher throughput or capacity offered by community based solutions. EDGE has preferred solutions that chlorinate water as it is 100% effective in killing disease causing pathogens.

Among its most effective tools is a chlorine generator that uses ordinary salt (sodium chloride), and electrolysis that is powered by either 12-volt car battery or solar panel.

Point-of-Use (POU) Solutions

Point-of-use solutions are often used when lower throughput/capacity is needed. Among the solutions EDGE is helping communities use include reusable water filters and biosand filters.

The process of working with communities

Two words describe the essence of how EDGE works with communities to solve drinking water...and resulting health problems:  community led. The process EDGE has found that results in long-term, sustainable improvements in a community's drinking water and overall health includes...

 

• Relationship building
• Site assessment
• Community decision
• Project preparation
• Project implementation
• Health & hygiene education
• Ongoing follow-up