Clean Water for All: How ASEI is Using Solar Power to Disinfect Water for Drinking
At ASEI, we’re committed to ensuring access to clean water—a vital necessity. We believe that everyone deserves clean water, no matter where they live. Unfortunately, millions of Ugandans still lack access to safe and clean water for drinking and hygiene. This scarcity of potable water is a dire issue, leading to disease and impacting vulnerable populations, particularly children and women.
Our innovative solution harnesses solar power and UV-C light to purify water effectively at the point of use. This sustainable technology is not only cost-effective but also eco-friendly, aiming to empower disadvantaged communities in rural and refugee areas with safe drinking and hygiene water.
In collaboration with Gulu University and the University of New South Wales, we’re enhancing our system’s efficacy. Currently, we’re conducting pilot tests in educational and healthcare institutions within Kyegegwa, Kabarole, and Fort Portal. Our goal is to diminish waterborne disease risks and elevate healthcare standards.
Our Water Treatment System Approach
We pinpoint essential community hubs such as educational institutions and healthcare facilities that are deprived of clean, potable water. Our team collaborates closely with these centers to devise and implement compact water treatment solutions, leveraging local water sources to ensure safe consumption.
Currently, our compact treatment systems comprise commercially available UV-C disinfection units paired with dual-stage filtration. These components are seamlessly integrated via flexible piping and various connectors, forming a cohesive system. This setup permits untreated water to be pressurized through the filters, followed by exposure to UV-C radiation within the solar-powered unit, effectively eliminating microbial pollutants. Consequently, the processed water emerges pure and drinkable, ready to be collected from the output valve into any vessel for immediate use.
WASH Education for Improved Health
In the Rwenzori region, the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) conditions are critical, with many schools scoring poorly on UNICEF’s WASH infrastructure and behavior rankings. This exposes students to a high risk of WASH-related illnesses, including Cholera.
Our collaboration with CAWST empowers us to educate these communities on the hazards of inadequate WASH practices. We guide them to create and execute practical WASH Improvement Plans.
Our initiative has already made significant strides, impacting over 20 schools with zero-star ratings. We ensure sustainability by utilizing existing school resources for these plans. Over 60% of schools have already begun implementation.
Join us in extending our reach to more schools in need of improved WASH standards.
