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LifeStraw Frequently Asked Questions
LifeStraw has been described as the "Invention of the Century" as it offers a simple and cost effective solution to one of the world's most pressing problems - Lack of fresh drinking water!
Here are some common questions answered. If you have more please Contact Us.
What Are LifeStraw's Limitations on What It Filters? LifeStraw has been created to filter drinkable water from surface fresh water and is designed with humanitarian aid for developing countries in mind. So in essence, rather than drinking water from a creek that may have a dead animal, faecal contaminants, or associated diseases in it, the LifeStraw filters the fresh water to significantly reduce the user's chance of catching disease that could be carried in the water. In humanitarian aid conditions this includes using the LifeStraw for the filtration of well water that can be tainted by nearby toilet trenches or burial areas.
LifeStraw has not been designed for, and does not filter out, the following:
 Water polluted by chemicals or radiation Salt water Water with naturally occurring harmful chemicalsHowever for drinking safe water from fresh water flood water, creeks, dams, puddles, and animal troughs, Lifestraw is perfect for use by households, hikers, and outdoor professionals, saving the use of chemicals in water, and the need to carry heavy water in a water rich environment. lifeStraw filters out harmful suspended materials and biologicals that can be in fresh water. lifeStraw and LifeStraw both are successfukl in filtering Giardia commonly found in creek water. Does LifeStraw need maintenance?
LifeStraw has no moving parts and is constructed to function under the rugged conditions of the daily needs of those living in developing nations. As a result the maintenance requirements are minimal.
If drinking from fresh water that has suspended fibrous material the first level filter may clog or be restricted. Maintenance recommended is for a regular backflow to blow any materials out - in other words blow through the LifeStraw rather than suck. This will clean the filter and is all the maintenance required.
If having used the LifeStraw and then wishing to store, simply backflow the filter, shake as much water out as possible, and leave with the cap off to dry. If you find future use of the LifeStraw is difficult, suck and blow in fresh water to clean the filter. Remember the nanotechnology can become clogged with silt or other matter, but is easily cleaned with care. LifeStraw is apparently good for 1000 litres - How do I know when the 1000 Litres is up. The manufacturer of LifeStraw suggests that a LifeStraw is good to filter up to 1000 Litres of fresh water. Please note that will any recommendations such quantities depend on care. Like some packaged food, the use-by date/quantity can be affected by how well the item is looked after and cared for, and can exceed the recommended quantity if looked after. There are no indicators to show when your 1000 litres are up, but most of us in the Western world will be hard pressed to use the LifeStraw or LifeStraw Family's 18,000 litres enough to reach even close to the maximum limits of the filters. So - if you look after your LifeStraw and it keeps on allowing you to drink your water through it, then the filters will be effective in supplying cleaned and filtered fresh water. Be kind to your LifeStraw and it will be kind to you. Who uses LifeStraw?
LifeStraw has been in existence for about 5 years and has been used actively by the major humanitarian aid agencies and various militaries for most of that time. Finally we have made LifeStraw available to the public. Besides humanitarian aid and personal use, LifeStraw has been used by soldiers in their personal kit, by families and aid agencies, travellers, and also by various government organisations who work in the physically demanding Australian outdoors.
LifeStraw has proved its effectiveness in the most demanding of situations and has saved millions of lives. What is LifeStraw Family? LifeStraw Family is a family version of the LifeStraw Personal and has seen enormous success in Humanitarian Aid work overseas. It is designed for use by groups or families and can be hung in a home or from the branch of a tree, with water poured into the holding container being filtered through LifeStraw's unique technology.
Filtering 18000 litres, or essentially looking after the fresh water needs of a family of 5 for 3 years, LifeStraw Family is a superb fresh water filter for villages, family groups, or for use in domestic camping and caravans. Ultimately LifeStraw Family has a greater humanitarian aid impact than LifeStraw as larger numbers of people can access the water cleaning technology that saves lives. What are LifeStraw sizes? LifeStraw and LifeStraw Family are each individually packaged with instructions regarding use and care. Independent of packaging, the LifeStraw products have the following dimensions.
What About Bulk Buy Prices?
LifeStraw Australia currently supplies LifeStraws to individuals and organisations: government, religious, humanitarian, and private. As a result it is not unusual for large numbers of LifeStraws to be required and shipped.
Because the role of LifeStraw Australia is to raise funds for LifeStraws to be delivered to humanitarian aid projects to those who do not have clean water to drink, and due to the costs of making the LifeStraw available, we are unable to offer massive discounts unless significant quantities are required. For LifeStraws that is 500 units, LifeStraw Family 100 Units, and PermaNet 1000 units. Cost savings can be accessed for international humanitarian use as the products can be shipped directly to the country of use rather than having to be shipped via Australia. For use in Australia, larger quantities can see significant reductions as well. We will need to discuss these situations to reduce the cost of import. For the general public, for quantities over 10 LifeStrawswe can arrange a better price for you as postage rates can be negotiated in quantity shipments. Talk to us about your project and we will do what we can to offer the most significant price reductions to ensure that your project has the best impact.
I don't reside in Australia - can you sell LifeStraws to me?
LifeStraw Australia imports LifeStraws to Australia, so shipping small quantities of LifeStraws overseas will involve postal costs from Australia. Though the LifeStraws are small and light weight the postal rates can be significant, but we aim to supply at the best rate possible. Postal rates can be calculated through our Shop area. Prices are listed in Australian Dollars, though an exchange rate feature is available.
I want to purchase Lifestraws for my sponsored project or mission. How can you help? If you have an aid project or mission programme it may be more cost effective to order LifeStraws and have them shipped directly to your destination. This of course depends on quantities ordered and the final destination, so you need to consider having someone on hand to manage import processes, manage stock delivery, and be mindful of corruption and theft.
Talk to us! We are happy to offer whatever assistance we can. We have a team experienced in international relations, humanitarian aid work, missions projects, and shipping, so we are sure to be able to create a solution that will be most cost effective for your organisation.
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