New LifeStraw® Water Filters Give The Gift Of Safe Drinking Water To Outdoor Enthusiasts And Emergency Preppers

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Nov. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The award-winning LifeStraw® water purifying technology has been integrated into a new refillable water bottle, LifeStraw® Go, ideal for hikers, travelers, outdoor enthusiasts and everyday use. At the same time, the high-volume LifeStraw® Family water purifier has been made available to consumers, who can bring it on camping trips or include it in emergency preparedness kits.  For each purchase of any life-saving LifeStraw® product, one school child in Africa will be provided with clean water for an entire school year.

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LifeStraw® Go is a lightweight, reusable water bottle that transforms microbiologically contaminated water into safe drinking water. Users simply scoop water from a river or other unsafe water source into the bottle, screw the lid on, and sip clean water through the mouthpiece. LifeStraw Go® removes 99.9999 percent of all bacteria and 99.9 percent of protozoan parasites that can contaminate water, and reduces turbidity (muddiness) by filtering out particulate matter.  Each filters at least 264 gallons (1,000 liters) of water, enough for daily use by one person for an entire year.

LifeStraw® Family is a high-volume purifier that removes virtually all bacteria and protozoan parasites while reducing turbidity. It also filters out 99.99 percent of viruses that contaminate water. The lightweight, portable filter uses a gravity-based system whereby water is poured through a container then moves down a tube, while being forced through narrow hollow fibers. Clean water exits pores in the fiber walls; contaminants are trapped inside and flushed out by backwashing. LifeStraw® Family purifies up to 4,755 gallons (18,000 liters) of EPA-quality water, enough for a family of five for three years.

For each LifeStraw® water filter purchased, one school child in Africa will receive clean drinking water for an entire school year. "With this ongoing commitment, consumer purchases will continually support Vestergaard's core business of producing and deploying products that improve the lives of the most vulnerable people," explained Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Swiss-based Vestergaard, the company that manufactures LifeStraw®.  

LifeStraw® technology was originally introduced in 2005 as an emergency response tool to purify water often contaminated following natural disasters.  Currently, Vestergaard is supporting its international humanitarian partners responding to the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the company is donating LifeStraw® filters to 16,000 families displaced by the typhoon.

All LifeStraw® products are made of durable plastic, and don't require electrical power, batteries or replacement parts. They all use advanced hollow fiber technology, a highly efficient method of filtration which requires no chemicals such as chlorine or iodine.

The suggested retail price of LifeStraw® Go in North America is US$29.99; LifeStraw® Family sells for US$89.95, both plus applicable tax, shipping and handling.  In Europe, the suggested retail price is 39.95 Euro for LifeStraw® Go and 99.95  Euro for LifeStraw® Family. For more information or to find a retailer or e-tailer, visit www.buylifestraw.com.

About Vestergaard and LifeStraw®

Vestergaard is a 57-year-old Swiss-based global company dedicated to improving the health of disadvantaged people with game-changing solutions that fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, diarrheal disease and neglected tropical diseases. The company is the largest producer of long-lasting insecticidal bed nets that prevent malaria under the PermaNet® brand, and its award-winning LifeStraw® water filters have been designed for individual, family and community uses. Vestergaard's ZeroFly® products produce advanced reduced residue defense against insect pests for livestock and crop protection. Additional company initiatives focus on HIV testing and climate mitigation. 

Rigorous laboratory testing of LifeStraw® conducted by the University of Arizona demonstrated that LifeStraw® performance exceeded U.S. EPA water filtration requirements for bacteria and parasites. LifeStraw® has received numerous awards including Time magazine's "Best invention of 2005", Saatchi and Saatchi's "World Changing Idea," and Esquire's  "Innovation of the Year."

Contact:
Meryl Rader, Public Relations Director, Vestergaard
+1-908-528-3826, mer@vestergaard.com