Keeping his family healthy and hydrated is one of Samuel Little's greatest challenges. The father-of-five spends about $20 a week on bottled water but his children are still regularly forced to miss school due to sickness caused by the town water. The afflictions include skin rashes and diarrhoea.
Torrential rain carrying bacteria-laden topsoil from surrounding farms and septic tanks washed into the narrow creek that serves as the community's water supply. The 65-year-old water treatment plant was overwhelmed, causing dirty, unfiltered water to flow directly into the kitchen sinks and bathtubs of the town's 1,500 residents.
The situation is so desperate, the town has turned to emerging technology capable of extracting clean water from air. Atmospheric water generation (AWG) uses a dehumidifier to capture moisture. More than 20 coolers have been installed, including at the health clinic, daycare centre, high school, aged care home and council office. The town is on its third year of boil notices.
Globally, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, according to the World Health Organisation.