By Fred Ouma

A new water purifier has been launched. LifeStraw Family is an instant microbiological purifier that provides about 10 litres of safe drinking water in an hour and 15,000 litres over the product’s lifespan.

For a family of six-members, the purifier can provide safe water for more than one-and-a-half years.

Thomas Hansen, the Vestergaard Frandsen regional director for East Africa, said the product sieves the dirt, parasites, bacteria and viruses making the water safe to drink.

An individual can use it to suck water from a container, well or river and drink it without having to boil the water first.
The portable device has been launched in major rural towns in Uganda. The new LifeStraw Family does not require electricity or batteries, making it ideal for use difficult settings.

Hansen said LifeStraw Family, which is estimated to cost $20 (sh33,000) at retail price, has been extensively tested at the University of Arizona and passed by the US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for microbiological purifiers. It will be distributed free staring in May.