The product has been patented, lab tested, and field tested in Africa. It disinfects drinking water using UV light and is powered by a hand-crank (for the household version) or a bicycle (for the kiosk version). It combines a small business opportunity with providing safe drinking water, and targets the rapidly growing urban centers of the developing world.

Misconception 1: The most pressing water quality challenges are in villages.
Reality: Rural dwellers often obtain their water from microbiologically safe groundwater wells—greater coverage is needed to be sure. However, the growing treatment challenge is for urban dwellers. “The locus of global poverty is moving to cities…” (Kofi Annan)
Misconception 2: Technology has already done its part. There’s no room for new answers or new products.
Reality: Chlorine is effective but people are reluctant to use it. SODIS (solar disinfection using 2-liter bottles) works, but per a recent study, only one out of six people used it just two months after intensive training. No point-of-use water treatment product has been embraced in the developing world.
Misconception 3: It’s cost-prohibitive to provide an acceptable solution.
Reality: People are paying two to three times more for the charcoal used to boil water than they would to use this UV product.

I invite interested parties to contact me to discuss the path forward. To date, the work has been accomplished by donated efforts; investment is needed to complete the engineering for manufacture, field deployment, and establishment of assembly shops in the developing world. Thank you.

Paul Berg