{"id":114380,"date":"2021-08-01T13:09:58","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T17:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=114380"},"modified":"2022-02-26T15:35:59","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T20:35:59","slug":"challenges-with-water-treatment-in-remote-and-underdeveloped-areas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/challenges-with-water-treatment-in-remote-and-underdeveloped-areas\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenges with water treatment in remote and underdeveloped areas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source<\/span><\/a> (no endorsement)<\/p>\n

By Matthew Taylor, Associate Researcher & Writer for Save The Water\u2122 | August 1, 2021<\/p>\n

Treating water is already challenging enough. Yet in remote and underdeveloped areas, water treatment comes with its own unique set of challenges. These challenges include technological limitations, cost, and the availability of different water sources. We must come up with reliable solutions to solve these challenges so that anyone, including those in remote and underdeveloped areas, can have access to clean water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Geographic limitations<\/h2>\n

When a water treatment system goes down in a large city, it is usually repaired within hours or days by dedicated water treatment plant staff. They have access to parts and labor right away and can thus fix the problem quickly. <\/span>Unfortunately, this luxury is simply not available in remote and underdeveloped areas.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

There is a limited number of people available who can repair the system when it goes down, and communities in these areas often do not have the parts they need to repair them. They are stuck waiting for days or weeks for parts to be shipped to them. If they cannot fix the system themselves, they must wait for a technician to come from a faraway place. In the meantime, they do not have access to clean water from their water treatment system. They are forced to boil their water, for example, or use bottled water to meet their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Technological limitations<\/b><\/h2>\n

Remote and underdeveloped areas have limited resources available to them because they can be so isolated. For example, these areas may not have <\/span>reliable electricity<\/span><\/a>, so they cannot always rely on water treatment systems that utilize electricity. They may also not have the space required for certain water treatment systems, meaning that they have to find another solution. This solution might not necessarily be the right fit for these areas, but it is the only option that communities may have.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cost<\/b><\/h2>\n

Communities located in remote or underdeveloped areas <\/span>might not have the funding available <\/span><\/a>to spend on a fancy water treatment system. In these areas, communities are often small. They receive less government funding and can collect less tax money from their residents. Communities might have to settle for water treatment systems that cannot meet their needs as they are unable to invest in a system that works for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Availability of different water sources<\/b><\/h2>\n

Tap water is available in most cities and towns in developed areas. However, tap water might not be readily available in remote and underdeveloped areas. Residents of these areas may get their water from wells or streams, for example. <\/span>The quality of the water from these sources can vary significantly.<\/span><\/a> There might not be a one-size-fits-all water treatment solution in the community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looser regulations<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are usually many more drinking water regulations in cities than there are in remote and underdeveloped areas. <\/span>These regulations make it easier to treat water because there are much stricter rules to follow.<\/span><\/a> However, regulations for water outside of cities tend to be loose in comparison. There are also more kinds of water sources to consider, each with its own contaminants and challenges. This issue means that a water source might not fit under specific regulations like it would in a city. The water might not be as clean as it should be before <\/span>being consumed<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What can we do?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Ideally, water treatment systems in remote and underdeveloped areas<\/a> would avoid the issues previously mentioned in this article. In a perfect world, water treatment systems in these areas would have certain qualities:<\/span><\/p>\n