Aquabox

Water poverty

In 2010 the UN declared access to safe water was a basic human right .

Today, despite this declaration, WHO/UNICEF estimates that there are still 2.2 billion people world-wide without access to safely managed water.

What is Aquabox? 

Aquabox is a volunteer-led UK charity which was founded in 1992, when two members of the Rotary Club of Wirksworth, Mike Hoole and Peter Hare, were discussing ways of improving the aid boxes the club was sending to disaster areas. In 1992 these boxes contained blankets, pots, pans, cutlery and so on, but Peter and Mike were determined to find a way to use the box to hold water, preferably safe enough to drink. The Aquabox filtration system developed as a result of these discussions uses a microfiltration system which removes all major water-borne pathogens e.g. typhoid, cholera, worm cysts, dysentery, and large viruses such as polio.

Aquabox filters require no consumables or energy supply, are durable and easy to maintain. Aquabox filters endure beyond the immediate need. 

Aquabox provides robust, simple to operate family and community water filters, which can produce 1 - 6 litres of safe drinking water per minute.

Where is Aquabox?

Large infrastructure projects can take time to establish and may not provide immediate disaster relief. Aquabox is often  the "First Responder" of water charities.

Aquabox equipment is sent to disaster areas and are mostly delivered by charity partners.  Here are just some  examples of where we have operated since 2020. 

• Nepal
  Regular landslips, earthquake. Remote communities destroyed
  
• Syria
  Internal conflict with displaced communities.
  
• Bay of Bengal
  Super Cyclone Amphan.
  Widespread destruction of communities and agricultural land.
  
• Yemen
  Internal conflict with displaced communities.
  
• Palestine (Gaza)
  
• Haiti
  
• Belize
  
• Senegal 

On the ground, Aquabox works with tried and trusted agencies - often local Rotary clubs - with whom we have worked for many years. Our partners help us distribute our aid rapidly, securely, and equitably and also train users in how to use the Aquabox filter. 

Since its formation, Aquabox has distributed more than 115,000 aid boxes and helped people in over 50 countries.

In 2018-19 alone Aquabox supplied water filters capable of producing over 4,000 litres of drinking water every minute, providing lifesaving support to over 50,000 desperate people throughout the world.

Your donations