The innovation of our filter technology

Water filters will be the next big thing in Rwanda, there is no question of that. Both in rural communities, in busy urban metropolis or in refugee camps, people are having trouble finding access to purified water. Some of our customers believed purified water is a financial cost that is unavoidable, and they simply buy several liters every week as a necessary burden. Others, on the other hand, turn to the option of boiling the rain water, with the subsequent cost, or just drinking it straight from the source.

These are some of the behavior patterns we have observed among our customers and when talking to people in Kamembe and Bukavu before they began using our water filters. We know that changes of behavior should not be taken for granted – Our future customers all need to be given a logical explanation of our filter capabilities, and hence how important this blog entry is.

Thus, allow me to start with a brief description of our filter technology:

Our filter is very easy to use and set-up: An arrow on the side of the filter cartridge indicates the flow direction of the water. When dirty water enters, all contaminants are simply left on the top of the filter or the dirty water container, so that the user can enjoy clean water at the outlet and easily remove the contaminants for another period of effortless filtration.

Our filter comes in a 10 liter version and 50 liter version depending on the size of the targeted family. We are exploring the possibility of starting manufacturing in Rwanda, promoting the country's wealth at the same time that we promote our filters.

Our filters have log 6 cleaning capability, removing 99.9999% of contaminants in the water and preventing diarrheal diseases and other waterborne diseases. It can remove protozoa, bacteria, parasites, suspended solids and larger viral contaminants. Additionally, the filter can operate at a water pressure up to 50 psi (0.33 MPa), which would be sufficient for a recurrent flow of water of 40L per hour. Thus, the speed of the water coming out the filter is dependent on how the filter is installed. The bigger the height difference between the bottom container and the top container, the faster the water flow will be.

Unlike other existing filter technologies which are usually (1) imported, (2) take much shipping space and (3) create dependency among the beneficiaries, the filter infrastructure of Water Access Rwanda is made out of (1) a cartridge that takes minimal shipping space, (2) local buckets and stands, (3) has a duration beyond 3 years with minimal training on use.

It is really as simple as that.

For any questions do not hesitate to visit our web, our stores both in Kamembe (newly opened) and Kigali or contact us directly.