Introduction
An estimated 884 million people do not have access to an improved water supply (UNICEF/WHO 2008), and hundreds of millions more drink water contaminated at the source or during collection, transport, and storage (Clasen and Bastable 2003). Diarrhea, one health consequence of
unsafe drinking water, accounts for 1.87 million (19%) childhood deaths each year (Boschi-Pinto et al. 2008).
Ceramic filters have traditionally been used to treat household water in many countries, and are commonly available for purchase in both developed and developing countries. Currently, the most widely promoted household ceramic filters in the developing world are based on a design developed in Guatemala in 1981 by Dr. Fernando Mazariegos who, working with the Instituto Centro Americano de Tecnología Industrial (ICAITI), conceived of the idea of utilizing native artisan skills and traditional use of ceramic pots to design a ceramic water filter that would address the urgent need for access to potable water in rural Central American communities (AFA 1995). After two years of research and field trials, with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank, ceramic water filter units were developed. These filters met the objectives of being produced with local, freely available raw materials, at low cost, using earthenware pottery, and promoting local employment.