According to DoSomething.org, more than 884 million people around the world currently lack access to safe drinking water, with over 840,000 of them dying of waterborne diseases each year. Worse yet, it is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion of us will live in places where water sources are scarce. In other words, clean drinking water is a serious concern both now and for the future, which is why the latest product from Mountain Safety Research — better known as MSR — is so intriguing.
The Community Chlorine Maker is a battery-operated device that uses a small amount of salt, water, and power to create chlorine for use in treating water. The entire process takes just five minutes, and results in clean drinking water for dozens of people. In fact, MSR estimates that a single one of these devices is capable of creating enough drinking water for as many as 200 people per day for up to five years, which is why the company is so eager to get them into the hands of those who really need it.
MSR has launched an Indiegogo campaign to help fund this latest venture. The hope is to raise $50,000, which would allow it to deploy 2,500 Community Chlorine Makers in developing countries across the globe. It is estimated that those devices would provide safe water treatment for more than 500,000 people, vastly altering their lives in the process.
This is a rare crowdfunding campaign that isn’t seeking money to get a commercial product into production. Instead, it is all about making the lives of people living in developing countries better. MSR isn’t trying to create a product that will enhance its bottom line, but is instead hoping to change the world by making it easier than ever to access clean drinking water.
All of the funds contributed to the project go directly toward building these devices and getting them installed in the field. All donations are being accepted, no matter the amount, but MSR is offering incentives for those who contribute more to the cause. For instance, anyone who donates $50 will receive a coupon good for a 20 percent discount on outdoor gear from MSR. That discount climbs to 30 percent with an $80 contribution, while those who give $100 are also eligible to receive their choice of an MSR beanie, water bottle, or pocket stove. Push that donation level up to $199 and you’ll receive a Community Chlorine Maker of your very own, which in turn can be used for your own personal water purification needs or donated for use elsewhere.
While MSR is well known for making a wide variety of outdoor gear for use on hiking, camping, and climbing trips, some of its most popular products are those that help with water filtration. That is something we learned a lot more about when Digital Trends reporter Adrienne So visited MSR headquarters recently. While there, she learned about the company’s extensive testing procedures for those products, which has helped to make them a popular choice for those visiting remote destinations. That same level of research and development went into creating the Community Chlorine Maker as well, with the goal of creating an affordable and easy to use product that can produce clean drinking water, anytime and anywhere.
Learn more on the Community Chlorine Maker Indiegogo page.
