Email Us: sales@maji-safi.org | Call Us: +211924922436 or +211920909075
P&G Purifier of Water — Turn Muddy, Contaminated Water into Safe Drinking Water in 30 Minutes
The only WHO-evaluated household water treatment combining coagulation, flocculation, and disinfection in a single 4g sachet. Treats 10 litres of even the muddiest water. Deployed in every major cholera response and flood emergency for over 20 years. Supplied from Juba, Kampala, and Nairobi — with export capability to the Middle East.
TRUSTED BY GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS
How P&G Purifier of Water works
P&G Purifier of Water was designed to replicate, in a single sachet, the same multi-barrier treatment process used in municipal water treatment plants. Each 4-gram packet contains a calibrated blend of ingredients that work in sequence when added to water:
1. Coagulation — particles come together
The ferric sulfate in the sachet acts as a powerful coagulant. Within seconds of being stirred into water, it neutralises the electrical charges that keep suspended particles — silt, clay, organic matter, pathogens — dispersed. The particles begin to clump together.
2. Flocculation — flocs form and fall
The coagulated particles grow into visible brown flocs that are heavy enough to settle to the bottom of the container. As they fall, they physically trap bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and even heavy metals like arsenic. The water overhead becomes dramatically clearer — often from opaque brown to nearly colourless within 5 minutes of stirring.
3. Disinfection — calcium hypochlorite finishes the job
The third ingredient — calcium hypochlorite — releases free chlorine into the clarified water on a timed schedule. Over 20 minutes, this chlorine inactivates any remaining pathogens and leaves a protective residual that prevents recontamination in storage. The finished water meets WHO drinking water guidelines.
Why this combination matters
Chlorine-only treatments like Aquatabs work brilliantly on clear water — but suspended particles in turbid water physically shield pathogens from chlorine contact. In flood water, heavily silted river water, or water drawn from contaminated surface sources during a cholera outbreak, a chlorine tablet alone may not achieve full disinfection. PUR's coagulation step removes the particles first, making chlorine disinfection fully effective.
Six reasons P&G PUR is the specified choice for turbid-water emergencies
Works on water Aquatabs cannot
The only household water treatment that handles highly turbid water — flood water, muddy rivers, contaminated surface sources — without pre-filtration or settling.
Compact and air-freightable
240 sachets per carton, approximately 25 × 11 × 15.5 cm. A single pallet treats millions of litres — decisive for emergency airlift to flooded or conflict-affected regions.
99.99%+ pathogen removal
Removes over 99.99999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses, and 99.9% of protozoa including Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts that resist chlorine alone.
Residual chlorine protects stored water
Free residual chlorine remains in the treated water, preventing recontamination during household storage — a known failure point in HWT programmes.
Proven 50-90% diarrhoea reduction
Five randomised controlled trials have documented diarrhoeal disease reductions from 16% to over 90% in communities using PUR.
Removes arsenic and heavy metals
The coagulation stage captures arsenic and other chemical contaminants, extending protection beyond microbial pathogens.
The layered approach many programmes use
For high-risk deployments — confirmed cholera transmission, post-flood displacement sites, or any context where source water quality varies day to day — the most resilient protocol combines both products. PUR sachets go to households drawing water from turbid or high-risk sources, while Aquatabs are distributed for treating water that has already been through a reliable clarification step or is known to be clear. Many of our framework clients maintain concurrent stocks of both for exactly this reason.
For a full technical comparison including dosing economics, distribution planning, and case studies from South Sudan cholera response, read our article Aquatabs vs P&G Purifier of Water for Emergency Response.
Field applications — from South Sudan cholera response to commercial supply in East Africa
1. Cholera outbreak response
South Sudan's ongoing cholera outbreak — the largest on record, with transmission active across nine states — is the clearest real-world example of why PUR matters. When floodwaters contaminate boreholes and surface water becomes the only available source, a chlorine tablet alone cannot reliably disinfect water that is both cloudy and carrying Vibrio cholerae. PUR's flocculation step removes the suspended particles that would otherwise shield the pathogen. SLS has deployed PUR under active cholera response operations across South Sudan and documented these deployments in our case studies.
2. Flood-affected rural communities
During the rainy season (June to October across most of East Africa), seasonal flooding contaminates boreholes and forces rural communities in Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and the eastern DRC to rely on surface water. PUR is pre-positioned in Juba, Malakal, Bentiu, and cross-border forward positions to supply household-level treatment during these months when turbidity makes Aquatabs alone insufficient.
3. Acute-phase disaster and displacement response
When new displacement events occur — whether triggered by conflict, earthquake, flood, or rapid disease outbreak — the first 72 hours demand a water treatment solution that works on whatever source is available. PUR is the product specified by IFRC, UNHCR, and MSF for acute-phase kits because it makes no assumptions about source water quality.
4. Outdoor, marine, and preparedness markets
PUR is increasingly specified for expedition, marine, and household-preparedness use in markets where water quality is unpredictable. The sachet's child-resistant packaging, 3-year shelf life, and ability to treat any water source make it a serious preparedness product, not just a humanitarian one.
How to use P&G Purifier of Water: Four Simple Steps
The process is straightforward but must be followed in order. Proper training of end users is essential — SLS can supply illustrated hygiene-promotion materials aligned with WASH Cluster messaging standards.
1.Mix — Pour the sachet contents into the water. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes with a clean utensil. You will see flocs forming as particles clump together.
2. Settle — Stop stirring and leave the bucket undisturbed for 5 minutes. The brown flocs will settle to the bottom.
.png)
3. Filter — Pour the water slowly through a clean cotton cloth into a second clean container. The cloth catches any remaining flocs.
4. Disinfect — Let the filtered water stand for 20 minutes to allow full chlorine disinfection. The water is now safe to drink.
Technical specifications: P&G PUR 240 Sachets per box
Product name
Form
Active ingredients
Additional components
Treatment capacity
Total treatment time
Pathogen removal
Additional removal
Turbidity handling
WHO classification
Residual chlorine
Shelf life
Package content
Carton dimensions
P&G Purifier of Water (formerly PUR)
Powdered sachet, 4 grams per sachet
Ferric sulfate (coagulant) and calcium hypochlorite
Buffer, clay, and polymer to optimise coagulation
10 litres of water per sachet, including highly turbid sources
30 minutes: 5 min mixing + 5 min settling + 20 min disinfection
Bacteria >99.99999%, viruses >99.99%, protozoa >99.9%
Arsenic and selected heavy metals via coagulation stage
Water exceeding 100 NTU where chlorine-only products fail
Comprehensive protection — Round 1
Chlorine residual per WHO drinking water guidelines
3 years from date of manufacture in original packaging
240 sachets per carton (20 strips of 12 sachets)
Approx. 25 × 11 × 15.5 cm, palletised for air and sea freight
Frequently asked questions about P&G Purifier of Water
Q. What is P&G Purifier of Water?
A. P&G Purifier of Water (formerly branded PUR) is a single-sachet household water treatment product developed by Procter & Gamble in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each 4-gram sachet combines a coagulant (ferric sulfate) and a disinfectant (calcium hypochlorite) to transform up to 10 litres of contaminated, turbid water into safe drinking water in approximately 30 minutes. It is the only household water treatment of its kind evaluated by the WHO as providing Comprehensive protection.
Q. How is PUR different from Aquatabs?
A. Aquatabs use a single active ingredient — NaDCC, which releases chlorine — and work best on water that is already relatively clear. PUR uses a two-step process: first coagulating and removing suspended particles, then disinfecting with chlorine. This means PUR works on heavily turbid water that Aquatabs alone cannot reliably treat, such as flood water, muddy rivers, or contaminated surface water during a cholera outbreak. PUR takes longer to use (about 30 minutes with several steps) while Aquatabs takes 30 minutes with a single step. Most serious WASH programmes stock both, using each where appropriate.
Q. What pathogens does P&G Purifier of Water remove?
A. PUR has been documented in multiple studies to remove over 99.99999% of bacteria (including Vibrio cholerae, E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella), over 99.99% of viruses (including Hepatitis A and Rotavirus), and over 99.9% of protozoa (including Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts, which are highly resistant to chlorine alone). It also removes arsenic and selected heavy metals through the coagulation step.
Q. How long does it take to purify water with PUR?
A. Approximately 30 minutes from start to finish: 5 minutes of active mixing, 5 minutes for flocs to settle, and 20 minutes of chlorine contact time after filtering. The water is then safe to drink and contains a residual chlorine level that protects against recontamination during storage.