Is This The Solution To Clean Drinking Water?

A simple, tube-shaped device, called LifeStraw, may be a godsend to thousands without safe drinking water.

“It works by catching disease-causing pathogens within a hollow fiber membrane,” Bustle reports. “Users simply put one end in a water source (such as a stream or lake) and then suck filtered water through the other.”

The device is getting a lot of attention lately, especially given that a new report by the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that, worldwide, 663 million people lack reliably clean drinking water sources. In response, LifeStraw developed a larger filter, capable of filtering 70,000 to 100,000 liters of water. Then, the company donated “the filters to 301 schools in western Kenya, giving clean water to over 157,975 children,” Bustle continues.

Recently, people all over the world donated millions of LifeStraw devices as part of the relief effort after the April 25 earthquake in Nepal. Years ago, in 2005, Time magazine awarded LifeStraw with the distinction of “Invention of the Year.”

The device is not only advantageous in developing countries and emergency situations. In the United States, hikers and campers use LifeStraw for convenient and portable drinking water.

What’s more, clean drinking water has been an issue in the United States as well. As recently as August 18, Business Insider reported that as many as six million Americans are drinking water with dangerous levels of uranium. On top of that, even ordinary tap water packs up to 2,100 known contaminants. As such, whole home filtration systems may be a worthwhile investment for U.S. households. These systems purify tap water from sinks, but also address hard water problems and possible toxins in bath and shower water.