People in the developed world take clean water for granted, as there are two billion people on the planet where clean water is not a guarantee. While there are ways to combat the issue of available drinking water, many of these projects are hindered by humans. Many times, the planning is not up to par, and other times, the powers that be prevent these projects from occurring. Understanding the potential setbacks during these clean water projects is imperative, since we will then achieve methods to overcome them.

Key Takeaways:

• A 2009 review found that household water treatment solutions in poor areas weren’t working.
• Technological solutions are great, but attention has to be paid to the long-term issues of maintenance, monitoring and funding.
• Keeping water treatment as simple as possible is important, as people often don’t take the extra steps necessary to make it work.

“Instead of waiting for governments to act, or for projects that progressed at a snail’s pace, what if villages and households were empowered to clean water themselves?”

Read more: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-humans-get-in-the-way-of-clean-water/