By Standard Reporter
Residents of parts of western Kenya can be certain of the cleanliness of their water. This follows the launch of a solar-powered water purification device by a Swedish organisation to boost access to clean water in the region.
"The solvatten water purifying device, is an alternative to boiling water with firewood by using radiation from sunlight to kill bacteria and disable viruses in the water," said Niels Von Zweibergk, chief executive of Tricolona, the NGO marketing the device.
The device is similar to a jerry can, but once it is filled with water, the user opens it up like a book.
"This exposes the container’s solar panels, purify the water so that it is drinkable in about four hours, depending on how strong the sun is," said Ms Petra Wadstrom, inventor of the device.
Wadstrom said the organisation will use the carbon finance to reduce the price for the Solvatten device, and will team up with micro-financing institutions to further lowering the threshold for households that want to get safe water without having to spend time and money on firewood.
"Since use of this technology reduces deforestation, the purchase, use of containers can be funded through carbon finance and make the device more accessible even to households with low incomes," she said.
