The mission is simple:

To get clean water to every single person who needs it. People living in impoverished areas die every day from drinking dirty water. While having access to clean water is a luxury that many of us take for granted, there are millions living in nations with no filtration systems in place. Kids drink from the same streams where animals bathe. In addition, there’s no clean water available for surgery if someone is injured, putting the wounded at risk of deathly infections.

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The goal is to take existing solutions in the form of portable water filters into countries that need them. There are different options in deciding which filters would be best for each region, based on needs in various areas. Options range from ceramic filters that can be transported by one person, to larger filters that can provide clean water to an entire village.

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Waves 4 Water has teamed up with surf company Hurley International to develop a DIY volunteer program called Clean Water Couriers, in which surfers in searching for waves in third-world countries carry filters with them in their luggage. Pack a few filters in your suitcase and either connect with local non-profits in that area or personally travel to villages to set them up yourself. Creating these types of filtration systems are simple: generally all you need are paint buckets (easily found in any country), a knife to make a hole, spigots and ceramic-drip water filters that can be purchased for $25 each or the preferred community filter at $50.

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We have also teamed up with large non-profits and government agencies to provide large-scale solutions to areas in need. Waves 4 Water recently set up large filters that have helped to combat the cholera outbreak caused by contaminated water in Haiti that has killed more than a thousand people and sickened thousands more. Similar set ups in poor regions around the world can help provide clean water to the masses.

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With these filters, dirty water becomes instantly clean – and drinkable. Lives are saved.

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While Waves 4 Water was conceived in the surf community, anyone who travels can help in a similar way. Waves 4 Water volunteers have successfully set up various types of filtration systems in Haiti, Indonesia, Bali, Pakistan, Samoa, and Chile. Each of these countries is being used as a model of success that can be applied worldwide.

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The idea isn’t to get one person to drop off 100 filters and call it a day. Let’s try to get 100,000 travelers to each pack 10 small filters, or team up with groups to implement projects with larger filters for an entire village. Then, the world will start to take notice.“Imagine millions of travelers doing this. Now, we’re making waves.”