Jerry Cans

In many countries in Africa, 20-liter jerry cans, initially used to transport vegetable cooking oils, are cleaned and used to transport and store water. They are easy to carry on the head and are a good option for safe storage. The opening is too small to allow hands or utensils into the water, and thus the water is poured out. They can be modified by drilling a hole in the plastic and adding a tap, which offers easier access to the treated water and provides a handwashing station in the home.

Used jerry cans cost approximately $1-5 on the open market in Africa.