EnterpriseWorks/VITA has begun to market 5000 CrystalPur™ water filters in central Uganda, as part of a pilot project funded by the Diageo Foundation. The filters will provide clean drinking water to an estimated 40,000 individuals, greatly reducing the incidence rate of waterborne disease in general and diarrhea in children.

The goal of the pilot is to create a market for inexpensive water filters in Uganda by demonstrating that they are a cost-effective solution to the water quality problem faced by many low-income consumers. The project aims to demonstrate that the CrystalPur™ water filter in particular meets consumer needs and can be distributed profitably by the Ugandan private sector.

Uganda, a populous, poor, and land-locked East African country, is particularly hard-hit by lack of access to clean drinking water. Diarrheal diseases cause 17% of all deaths of children under five and are the fourth leading cause of death for both under-five year olds and adults. Only 58% of Ugandans have access to an improved water source and the percentage of urban households with connection to water mains has plunged from 24% to 12% since 1990, due to rapid growth in un-served urban slums. In rural areas, the situation is worse: an estimated 8 million rural Ugandans do not have regular access to clean drinking water.

EnterpriseWorks/VITA believes that point-of-use water treatment can make an important contribution to improving water quality and increase the growth rate of access to clean water in Uganda. A point-of-use treatment focuses on improving water quality at the household level instead of attempting to improve supply at the community level. This allows households to leverage personal funds—even the small amounts available in rural families—to increase water quality.