The lack of clean potable water is a matter of worldwide concern. Today, more than 25% of the world's water supply is polluted. A recent World Bank report found that only 40% of the world's population has enough water. Water consumption has increased seven times since the beginning of the 20th century.
Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, President of the International Water Resources Association, told delegates at the United Nations International Conference on Water and Sustainable Development that about 1.2 billion people lack access to clean water now, and that 5 to 10 million people die each year from water-borne diseases. The suffering will only increase unless steps are taken to improve water purity.
Works of Wonder International is actively seeking to license and adapt simple and affordable technologies in the areas of water purification, irrigation and water transport for use in developing countries.
While our primary focus is to increase the availability of pure water, an important secondary goal is to assist in dealing with the many hidden stress factors and healthcare costs associated with lack of access to clean drinking water, and to provide an overall improvement in well-being.
The Problem of Water Transport
Millions of people worldwide are forced to walk long distances on a daily basis to collect their water requirements for the day. Traditional methods of collecting water include the use of 20-liter (5-gallon) buckets, which are laboriously carried on the head. Extensive suffering occurs in the process. This method is very time and energy consuming and is also the cause of many serious health problems.
The Hippo Water Roller was specifically designed to alleviate the suffering caused by a lack of access to water. The Hippo Water Roller is a barrel-shaped container designed to transport 90 liters (20 gallons) of water. It comprises of a drum with a large screw-on cap and a clip-on steel handle.
The drum is manufactured from UV stabilized Polyethylene and has been designed to withstand typical rural conditions such as uneven footpaths, rocks and even broken bottles. The large opening (135 mm / 5.3 inch diameter) allows for easy filling and cleaning of the interior. The sealed lid ensures hygienic storage of water and the steel handle provides firm control over difficult terrain while pushing or pulling the roller.
The innovative design allows water to be placed inside the "wheel" rather than carried above the wheel. The 90kg (200 pound) weight of water is borne on the ground resulting in an effective weight of just 10kg (22 pounds) on level ground. Children and the elderly can easily manage a full roller over most types of terrain.
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