The Aussie invention helping Cambodian villagers produce clean drinking water for free

Small Sticker Provides Clean Drinking Water to Communities

It is just a small sticker, but it could have an enormous impact on the 2 billion people worldwide without access to clean drinking water.

Key points:

• Martin Butson has helped invent a small sticker that indicates when water has been purified through UV exposure
• The stickers can be placed on a reusable plastic bottle and change colour when the water is safe to drink
• The stickers have been used in a pilot program in Cambodia that has already helped thousands of people

The SAFE sticker is a UV purification label that works by simply sticking it on a bottle of contaminated water, putting the container in the sun and waiting for the UV light to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms.

Wollongong scientist and co-inventor Martin Butson told ABC Illawarra Mornings presenter Nick Rheinberger the sticker removed the guesswork from using UV rays to treat water.

He said the World Health Organization recommended bottles be kept in direct sunlight for six hours to purify the water. But it wasn’t always a reliable method.

“It depends on what time of year it is. Cloud cover and the level of UV can change,” Dr Butson said.

Helping Cambodian Communities

The Butson family from Wollongong are well-known scientists and inventors.

Macinley Butson was named 2018 NSW Young Australian of the Year and invented a scale maille breast protector for cancer patients.

The family created The Water Gift charity to provide SAFE stickers to Cambodia and, for the past one and a half years, have been completing pilot programs in rural areas of the South-East Asian country.

Dr Butson said the response had been “absolutely incredible”.

“We’ve been over there a year and a half now, and we’ve worked with local villages in northern Cambodia in the Siam Reap province and surrounding lake areas, mountainous regions, and urban slums on the outskirts of Siam Reap,” he said.

“We provide education and teach them the process of collecting and cleaning bottles, putting the sticker on and looking at it.”

Pech Tang from Thnaut Kambot Village said she had encouraged other people in her village to use the SAFE sticker.

“Before we would get stomach aches from the water but now we are much better,” she said. “It is easy to use, saves time and we are not sick now — we are telling other people how good it is.”

He said the sticker was cost-effective and easily accessible to people in poorer countries as it relied upon the sun to do the work.

How It Works

The sticker has a light pink patch in the middle, which gradually changes to black with UV exposure, meaning it is safe to drink.

For many Cambodians, water is sourced from a well, the lake, or even in puddles on the side of the road.

Dr Butson said the one consistent element was the water was always contaminated with harmful bacteria that could cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other health issues.

“We started with 10 families, which is up to about 1,000 now, and we go back every few months and find families that want to join in,” he said.

“There was a time we arrived in a village unannounced, and we could see all the bottles out with the stickers on, and a family had little bottles as well that the kids can take to school.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
   • Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases
   • Indicator 3.3.2: Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age, and key populations
   • Indicator 3.3.5: Number of people suffering from water-related diseases

Analysis

The article discusses the invention of a small sticker that indicates when water has been purified through UV exposure. This invention addresses the issue of clean drinking water, which is connected to SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. The specific target under this SDG that can be identified is Target 6.1, which aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The indicator mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards this target is Indicator 6.1.1, which measures the proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water services.

The article also mentions that the water in Cambodia is contaminated with harmful bacteria, which can cause diarrhoea and other health issues. This connects to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. The specific target under this SDG that can be identified is Target 3.3, which aims to end the epidemics of water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The indicators mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards this target are Indicator 3.3.2, which measures the number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, and Indicator 3.3.5, which measures the number of people suffering from water-related diseases.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: abc.net.au

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.