If the blue tap is kept open while the red cleaning bulb is squeezed, the purified water will come out through the blue tap faster than usual, because of the pressure produced by the bulb squeeze. The higher flow rate obtained this way is not permanent since the user needs to wait until the bulb refills and the housing also refills before he can press the red cleaning bulb again. The overall flow rate is directed by the 1m long hose that creates a 0.1bar pressure on top of the hollow-fiber membrane.

So yes, in the short-term, during one bulb squeeze, leaving the blue tap open while squeezing the bulb can create a higher flow rate, but over the longer term, i.e. for several liters of filtration, the overall flow rate is directed by the 1m long hose and pressing the red cleaning bulb constantly will not make any difference because of the waiting period between the squeezes.

For an optimal backwash of the membrane, both taps should be kept closed while squeezing the red cleaning bulb; leaving the blue tap open does not increase the overall flow rate.

After closing the blue tap and the red exit valve, the red cleaning bulb is squeezed three times to create pressure inside the housing of the LifeStraw® Family membrane cartridge where the purified water is located (the red cleaning bulb is full of purified water). Water passes from the clean side of the hollow-fibre membrane to the dirty side and while doing so lifts up the dirt that has accumulated on the dirty side of the membrane surface. The dirt is then flushed out when the red exit valve is opened.

While LifeStraw® is for individuals and for water consumption outside the home, LifeStraw® Family can be used by families for their drinking water requirement at home.

Drinking unsafe water can be lethal for HIV-infected people. Those carrying the HIV-virus have compromised immune systems and are at a much greater risk of acquiring infectious diseases, including waterborne illnesses.

Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected children. In a study among HIV-infected persons in Uganda, for example, the use of safe drinking water decreased diarrhoeal illness by 36%.

LifeStraw® Family can play an important role in improving the health of at risk populations. Read more about the clean water and HIV/AIDS link.

LifeStraw® Family's advanced filtration technology, simplicity of use, low cost, and long life without requiring any spares, makes it completely unique.

The product will not be sold in individual units. In order to focus our efforts on developing products for people who need them the most, Vestergaard Frandsen will concentrate on serving customers that can purchase large quantities of the product for the developing world.

The customers for LifeStraw® Family will most likely be the same as those who purchase LifeStraw®, and are mainly governmental aid agencies, international relief and development organizations, foundations, charities, and corporate CSR programmes.

LifeStraw® Family has an auto-clog mechanism. If the product does not deliver water despite the backwashing and pre-filter cleaning, it means that the life of the product is over.

LifeStraw® Family will filter on average about 10 liters of water an hour and can filter more than 18,000 liters over the product's lifecycle. That is enough to provide a typical family of five up to three years worth of clean and safe water.

LifeStraw® Family works by simple gravity, and requires no spare parts or maintenance other than cleaning, no batteries or electricity required.

LifeStraw® Family has been extensively tested with turbid water. The product removes all particles up to 20nm, making the water clear of any turbidity.

The product has been extensively tested, and complies with United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) guidelines for microbiological purifiers. The product removes at least 99.9999% of all bacteria, 99.99% of all viruses, and 99.9% of parasites.

LifeStraw® Family has been designed to be very user-friendly. The pre-filter bucket can be wiped clean with a simple soft cloth. The purification cartridge can be cleaned by closing the tap and squeezing the bulb attached to the side of the cartridge, forcing dirt and muddy water to leave through the bottom exit.

The process of filtration begins when dirty water is poured into the pre-filter bucket at the top of the product. Simple gravity forces the water through a tube and into the purification cartridge, which contains millions of tiny pores called capillary membranes that remove contaminants. Clean and safe water is then ready to flow from the attached tap. Dirt accumulated in the membranes can be released from the bottom of the device by pressing the squeeze bulb after use. See diagram of the product.

There are 4 billion annual cases of diarrhoea each year. Therefore anyone at risk of waterborne disease can benefit from this product. People in developing countries, children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of becoming sick or dying from waterborne disease.

LifeStraw® Family is a point-of-use instant microbiological purifier that allows people to create their own homemade drinking water. The product is designed to address the need of the more than 1.1 billion people who lack access to safe and clean drinking water, by allowing them to have a stable and reliable source of water for home consumption.