International Header

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

And while advocates say underlying issues like climate change -fueled drought and poor water management need to be urgently addressed, solutions...

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

Last updated:
December 6, 2023
|  5 min read

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

YouTube video highlight

And while advocates say underlying issues like climate change -fueled drought and poor water management need to be urgently addressed, solutions...

Read more about the project

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

Thumbnail Slider Image
No items found.

In some neighborhoods in drought-prone Kenya, clean water is scarce. Filters are one solution.

The Athi River, on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, is choked by plastic and other waste.There's no piped water or sewage system in the area, and drought has made clean water supplies more scarce and expensive.Twice a week, trucks with 5,000 to 10,000 liters (1,300 to 2,600 gallons) of water will fill up vending stations across Athi River, where residents can buy 20 liters (five gallons) for 20 Kenyan Shillings ($0.16).

A household of four needs about five gallons a day, weekly incomes are about $13, according to data from Kenya’s Finance Ministry.

Many rely on unsafe alternatives if they miss out on the trucked-in stocks. Residents take yellow jerrycans to a swamp to draw water for cooking and cleaning, leaving them vulnerable to germs and contaminants that can’t be boiled out of the water.For those whose homes are kitted out with water filters, distributed by a local nonprofit, the nearby river — though polluted, prone to drought and usually unsafe for drinking — is becoming a cheaper and sometimes more reliable source of clean water.

And while advocates say underlying issues like climate change-fueled drought and poor water management need to be urgently addressed, solutions like filters make a short-term difference because deliveries are often not enough for the neighborhoods’ needs.

Nonprofit organization, Bucket Ministry, has been providing communities around Nairobi and other parts of Kenya with the easy-to-use water filters.

Learn more here.

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

In some neighborhoods in drought-prone Kenya, clean water is scarce. Filters are one solution.

The Athi River, on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, is choked by plastic and other waste.There's no piped water or sewage system in the area, and drought has made clean water supplies more scarce and expensive.Twice a week, trucks with 5,000 to 10,000 liters (1,300 to 2,600 gallons) of water will fill up vending stations across Athi River, where residents can buy 20 liters (five gallons) for 20 Kenyan Shillings ($0.16).

A household of four needs about five gallons a day, weekly incomes are about $13, according to data from Kenya’s Finance Ministry.

Many rely on unsafe alternatives if they miss out on the trucked-in stocks. Residents take yellow jerrycans to a swamp to draw water for cooking and cleaning, leaving them vulnerable to germs and contaminants that can’t be boiled out of the water.For those whose homes are kitted out with water filters, distributed by a local nonprofit, the nearby river — though polluted, prone to drought and usually unsafe for drinking — is becoming a cheaper and sometimes more reliable source of clean water.

And while advocates say underlying issues like climate change-fueled drought and poor water management need to be urgently addressed, solutions like filters make a short-term difference because deliveries are often not enough for the neighborhoods’ needs.

Nonprofit organization, Bucket Ministry, has been providing communities around Nairobi and other parts of Kenya with the easy-to-use water filters.

Learn more here.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
News Organization
AP News
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
Media Mentions

WBNS 10TV: AP NEWS: Water filters make dirty Kenya river safe for drinking

In some neighborhoods in drought-prone Kenya, clean water is scarce. Filters are one solution.

The Athi River, on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, is choked by plastic and other waste.There's no piped water or sewage system in the area, and drought has made clean water supplies more scarce and expensive.Twice a week, trucks with 5,000 to 10,000 liters (1,300 to 2,600 gallons) of water will fill up vending stations across Athi River, where residents can buy 20 liters (five gallons) for 20 Kenyan Shillings ($0.16).

A household of four needs about five gallons a day, weekly incomes are about $13, according to data from Kenya’s Finance Ministry.

Many rely on unsafe alternatives if they miss out on the trucked-in stocks. Residents take yellow jerrycans to a swamp to draw water for cooking and cleaning, leaving them vulnerable to germs and contaminants that can’t be boiled out of the water.For those whose homes are kitted out with water filters, distributed by a local nonprofit, the nearby river — though polluted, prone to drought and usually unsafe for drinking — is becoming a cheaper and sometimes more reliable source of clean water.

And while advocates say underlying issues like climate change-fueled drought and poor water management need to be urgently addressed, solutions like filters make a short-term difference because deliveries are often not enough for the neighborhoods’ needs.

Nonprofit organization, Bucket Ministry, has been providing communities around Nairobi and other parts of Kenya with the easy-to-use water filters.

Learn more here.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
News Organization
AP News
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
Media Mentions
browse all articles
Here at Sawyer
February 3, 2026
6 Min
Treeline Review: PCT Southbound Gear List & Strategy 2026
Read More

Media Mentions

43.2% of hikers used the Sawyer Squeeze, the most common hollow membrane squeeze filter (and the most common water treatment overall).

Mac
Contributing Writer

Media Mentions

Randy Patton’s late father, Biff Patton, launched the water filter program in 2010.

Conner Beene
Writer

Media Mentions

The most significant being its positive impact on our health after using it, its capacity to reduce our expenses on water treatment and access to safe water, and the time it saves by eliminating the need for boiling or treating water.

Teburenga Geraldine Tabwebweiti
Communications and Engagement
<<  Previous Post
No previous post!
Check out our Directory
Next Post  >>
No next post!
Check out our Directory