Portable Water Purification: How WateROAM is Solving the Global Clean Water Crisis
- yanabijoor
- Dec 9, 2024
- 2 min read
What is the problem?
Many poor communities lack access to clean drinking water, facing the threat of waterborne disease and contamination risk. Over 1 in 3 people (2.2 billion) lack access to clean drinking water globally. The majority of people affected live in rural and informal communities. The existing water treatment solutions are either too costly (hundreds of millions in infrastructure), vulnerable to climate change disruptions, or time-consuming to install.
What is the solution?
WateROAM, founded in 2014 in Singapore, offers low-cost water purification systems that use solar energy to disinfect and clean contaminated water. Its portable water filtration device, a 3.5 kg pump, can provide clean water to 100 people for up to two years, filter 200 liters per hour, and remove 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9999% of viruses.
It is portable, lightweight, and easily deployable in emergencies.
Why is this solution innovative?
From a product design perspective, WateROAM uses renewable solar energy (so no electricity is required), combines multiple purification technologies (UV disinfection, filtration, solar thermal heating), and is lightweight, making it portable. It also requires limited infrastructure and is designed specifically for rural and disaster-relief areas.
It requires very little maintenance and know-how to install and use. The solution is cost-effective: $399 per pump, which is about $2 USD per person per year.
What is the impact?
WateROAM is the largest solar water purification system manufacturer focused on portable solutions. It has been deployed in over 38 countries and has completed over 200 successful projects across Asia and Africa. It has purified over 8 million liters of water, serving approximately 130,000 people in emergencies. WateROAM can reduce waterborne disease rates by up to 90% and is deployed in disaster relief situations such as in 2020 when a Cyclone and Nepal’s earthquake hit Vanuatu. WateROAM aspires to help 30 million people in the next five years.
What needs to be improved?
WateROAM has several areas for improvement. The Company wants to reduce manufacturing costs, enhance durability to withstand harsh conditions, and improve scalability so it can help larger communities.
The company is developing a second version of its product, which aims to improve its durability during natural disasters and reduce the amount of maintenance required. It is also introducing new products, including a filtering faucet for use inside the home.
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