Sunday, November 3, 2013

WaterWear Backpack

This technology was developed as people realized how burdensome fetching water actually is for many people around the world. In addition to fetching water, keeping it clean and transporting it to their homes is a major challenge and this technology hopes to make this easier for people around the world.
The pros of this technology is the easily washable lining and the built in tap that keeps the water clean. It is also in the shape of a backpack so it is manageable to carry over uneven terrain. It is not as harmful to the neck and as carrying water on your head. The cons are that the backpack only carries 20 liters which is not enough for a whole family. Also some of the materials like the tap, and the woven polypropylene may increase the cost of production. It is arguable whether this technology is more efficient than some of the local products in use.

If I had 10 grand to devote to addressing water challenges around developing communities, I would not choose this technology.  The amount of water it carries is not sufficient and there is not adequate quantitative data supporting how effective this has been in the real world. I would also need more support on how the materials and cost of the backpack are acquired.

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