Answers to your questions.
- What is the AC Community?
- Who can join the AC Community? How can I join?
- Where does AC work?
- How does the AC Water Purifier work?
- What is the cost of an AC Water Purifier?
- What is the lifespan of an AC Water Purifier?
- Does AC work with other organizations?
- How can I/my organization get trained?
- Where does Aqua Clara get its funding?
- If I donate to Aqua Clara, where does my money go?
- Is my gift tax deductible?
- What is the Aqua Clara Franchise Program?
- How do I set up an Aqua Clara Franchise in my community?
- Non profit/ for profit – how does that work?
- How do I get in contact with Aqua Clara?
- How do I volunteer with Aqua Clara? What if I live far away?
- How can I raise awareness about the work of Aqua Clara?
- How can I learn more about water issues?
- What is Kids 2 Kids?
What is the AC Community?
AC Community Members can access additional pages – Community Resources and Community Connection. These offer a sharing of more detailed information on the operation and planning of water projects worldwide. They help to network the individuals and organizations that are working towards the AC Mission.
Who can join the AC Community? How can I join?
The AC Community consists of AC staff, volunteers, affiliates and others committed to the mission of clean water for all. If you are interested in joining, click here to contact us and we will work towards providing you with a user name and password.
Where does AC work?
Local people have been trained and AC purifiers have been placed all over the world. And we’re growing. AC sends its own staff to its countries of focus (currently Mexico, Nicaragua, Kenya and soon, Uganda). To reach other areas, AC trains other organizations in the use and transfer of its program. Check out our interactive map for more information.
How does the AC Water Purifier work?
The AC Water Purifier is designed to be simple, effective and affordable, and is made from materials that can be locally sourced wherever the purifiers are in demand. The purifier body is assembled from large HDPE plastic containers and simple PVC pipe, and the filler material consists of local sand and gravel. The standard AC Water Purifier can produce 40 liters of safe drinking water daily. Click here to learn more.
What is the cost of an AC Water Purifier?
The AC Water Purifier was developed with the aim of keeping per unit cost to a minimum so that it would ultimately be more scalable. The ACWP is regularly constructed of components costing between $10 and $15 – for a projected water output cost of $0.0004 per liter. This low cost not only makes the AC program highly scalable, but affords the opportunity for local entrepreneurs to launch for profit businesses around the manufacture, sale and maintenance of AC purifiers. Click here to learn more about our Franchise Program.
What is the lifespan of an AC Water Purifier?
The ACWP is projected to last between 5-10 years with only minor maintenance. The limiting factor will be the durability of the plastic body chosen as well as its exposure to the elements. The filler material will continue functioning for much longer with only minor maintenance to the top few centimeters of sand and biological material.
Does AC work with other organizations?
Yes. Our goal is to get life saving technology to those who need as intelligently and efficiently as possible. A large part of this includes the training of other individuals and organizations in AC technology and program operation. Learn more about how we work by clicking here.
How can I/my organization get trained?
Aqua Clara regularly schedules training sessions in our Holland, Michigan facility. To learn more about these sessions, click here.
Additionally, AC has sometimes traveled to different locations in the US to train other organizations who have the intent of implementing our program. Your organization can request such a session if it is willing to cover related expenses. To contact us, click here.
Also, AC Transfer Agents travel and conduct training sessions abroad. To learn about such sessions, check our Training Events section and/or contact us.
Where does Aqua Clara get its funding?
Aqua Clara gets its funding from a number of private sources, both corporate and individual. Each donor believes in our cause, and many offer more than simply money – time, skills and other resources are often given. To donate, click here.
If I donate to Aqua Clara, where does my money go?
Your donation will aid in the implementation of water projects worldwide. Because our focus on implementing projects with the potential for local financial sustainability, you donation has the potential to launch sites that will continue producing Water Purifiers indefinitely into the future, even after our agents and resources leave. Our Donation page gives a more detailed description.
Is my gift tax deductible?
Yes. Aqua Clara is a registered 501(3)(c) non profit.
What is the Aqua Clara Franchise Program?
It is what we call our method of transferring our water purification technology to communities across the world, with the intent that they then run their own water program for the betterment of their community. We provide training and related materials on AC Technology as well as on organizing and operating a local enterprise. Thus, we see ourselves as a support organization that focuses on aiding the operation of large numbers of independently owned enterprises. To ensure local financial sustainability, we often suggest the formation of a local for profit business (and provide related materials) – but the program is flexible as long as long-term sustainability is kept in mind. To learn more, click here.
How do I set up an Aqua Clara Franchise in my community?
The first step to setting up an AC franchise is to contact AC and begin a relationship.
Non profit/ for profit – how does that work?
As stated, Aqua Clara is a non profit, but it does promote the formation of independent locally-owned businesses around AC Water Purifier manufacture, sales and maintenance. Aqua Clara supports these businesses free of charge, while they themselves can make a modest profit – all to realize the end goal of local financial sustainability of any community water program.
How do I get in contact with Aqua Clara?
We welcome questions, and especially shared contacts and ideas. Any effective response to the world water crisis has to be large and communal. Join the conversation: contact us and share your thoughts, questions and contacts.
How do I volunteer with Aqua Clara? What if I live far away?
There are a variety of things that can be done to further the AC Mission. Some may be specifically project based, while others are ongoing. To learn more, click here.
How can I raise awareness about the work of Aqua Clara?
Become informed. Inform others. Write to your local newspaper. Host a gathering. Give a presentation. Simply put, whatever you are comfortable with. To learn more about making AC known, click here.
How can I learn more about water issues?
There are many resources related to this ‘silent humanitarian crisis’. Some can be found in the AC Download Center. To link to our water issues page, click here.
What is Kids 2 Kids?
Kids 2 Kids is what we call our connection between classrooms in the USA and the majority world. Learning and sharing are facilitated in a format simple for teachers to implement – to learn more, click here.