H2Go

Memphis has the cleanest drinking water in the country. It’s not too hard, it’s not too soft. We are truly blessed that we don’t have to think about the status of our water or where it comes from. We simply turn on the faucet and can take 20 minute long showers. Or have the washing machine running while we go to do something else. But not everyone is so privileged. 

As the presenters of iDro said, only a percentage of a percentage of a percentage of the earth’s water is drinkable and clean. I think that the iDro is an excellent solution to not only provide people with clean drinking water for everyday use but also to prevent disease and keep people healthy. iDro uses proper materials such as Styrofoam as an excellent insulator and aluminum as a cheap and a good heat conductor to ensure that their product not only filters water but also kills bacteria. It’s also portable and comes with a strap. While it is probably more efficient to bring all the unclean water to a central site and then clean it, the portability of iDro is appealing for those involved in the military, camping, or hiking. Although the hand crank method does seem a little tedious, I believe that the presenters did their research in finding the most reasonable and efficient method for their design. 

As someone who has been on the planning committee for Bowling for Uganda for the past 3 years, I can say that the issue of these countries and villages not having easy access to resources is real. But also, the idea of having volunteers and missionaries constantly providing these resources is not ideal. Donations and supplies will dwindle quickly among the villagers. These people already know how to survive and thrive on their own with what they have. They know how much water they use a day and the amount of time and people it takes to get it. But iDro can help them increase the amount of clean and drinkable water they have at their fingertips when they want it. 

I think that iDro is a great idea and even though it may not be able to help everyone who lacks access to clean water, it can at least help some people. And some is better than none.