UV Water Purification Project

The Border Green Energy Team and our other partner organizations identified the need for an appropriate technology water purification system that could be used in Thai-Burma border communities. Chronic illness caused by water-borne pathogens affects many in the region. Student volunteers with the Global Youth Service Team began working on a system that would operate by solar powered DC electrical systems, inactivate water-borne pathogens to World Health Organization standards, be constructed from locally available materials and be relatively low cost. The GYST has since built UV purifiers and taught UV water disinfection in 5 communities in western Thailand and 6 communities in Haiti.

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1.2 billion people live without access to safe water and 2.5 billion are without sanitation. This population is vulnerable to deadly diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid and insect-borne illnesses.	Water quality is a health problem on the Thailand/Burma border with much of the illness, seen particularly in children, caused by water borne pathogens. An estimated 30% of people don't boil or purify their water by any means and 60% don't use latrines.	Firewood is needed to boil water for disinfection. The travel exposes people to dangers such as gender-based violence. The use of wood for fuel is contributing to deforestation and health problems associated with the use of indoor open fire pits.
The World Health Organization states; "Every year more than 1.6 million people die because they lack access to safe water and sanitation. Ninety per cent of the deaths occur among children under five, mostly in developing countries,"	In 2008, at the request of our Thai-Burma border based partner the Border Green Energy Team, the GYST began experiments to investigate solar powered ultraviolet water purification.	The purpose is to find an appropriate means to provide clean, safe water for populations located in remote areas.
In 2008 the Global Youth Service Team began teaching the theory and construction of ultra-violet water purifiers.	Purifiers must also inactivate water-borne pathogens to WHO standards, be constructed from locally available materials and be relatively low cost.	For a UV purifier to be usable in remote regions of developing countries where there is the most need, it has to operate by solar powered DC electrical systems.
The GYST has now provided access to clean, safe water for 5 villages in western Thailand and Haiti.	Youth volunteers also built and installed a UV purifier for the school in the village of Dah La Okla.	At the schools in the village of Ni Le Ah Hta where we built and installed a purifier, the teachers had been collecting firewood to boil water every day for nearly 100 students. At times they had to venture across the river back inside Burma to get enough wood.
	The burden of carrying water from what are often polluted sources falls upon the women and children of families. They walk up to four miles each day carrying 40 pounds of water.	Caption Here