Drinking Water

This is such a small detail of my life that I don't think much about it anymore, but some people might be interested to know how I get clean drinking water. There are various options like boiling your water, UV sterilization, iodine tablets, and even bleach. I'm fortunate enough to have a water filter that does the work for me.

There are many great water filters out there... ones sold here in Uganda and ones that people bring over from the States. Most of them are very expensive and require extensive cleaning or filter replacements. When I arrived in Uganda, I heard about a new filter called TivaWater. While it's not the most beautiful one out there, it's sold by a locally owned and operated franchise and only costs 150,000 UGX ($58), which is hundreds cheaper than most others. Sold. 

I purchased one in Kampala when I first arrived in Uganda, and now it lives in my kitchen(ette).  

How does it work? The website gives great details, but the basic premise is that a cloth filter catches large debris and dirt, and 20 pounds of bio-sand "removes parasites, worms, protozoa, and viruses from the water. As water passes through the sand, the bacteria die due to a lack of oxygen, light, and food."

source

See that white cup in the bottom section? It's used to keep sand from flowing out the straw into the clean water. And guess what it is in real life. ... A red Solo cup.

And now, for those of you who are really interested: a not-so-exciting but very informative assembly video.