Exclusive interview: H2O Global News’ Sion Geschwindt interviewed Unicore Investments Senior Managing Partner, Herve Ime, and BrightWater Energy Solutions Founder, Joe Carbine, to find out how their partnership is bringing affordable safe drinking water to the remotest parts of the African continent.
Achieving universal and fair access to safe and affordable drinking water for all is a fundamental right as outlined in the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But currently, global water supplies are not distributed equitably, and many developing countries are without access to these supplies. According to the UN, in Africa, about 40% of the population lack safe drinking water. Vast areas of the continent experience water stress, which is being exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
The water that is available is often unsafe to drink because of contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria and viruses. Treating this water effectively requires investing in technology that can filter out these contaminants, and provide access to safe drinking water over the long-term. However, the finances are often unavailable, and making this technology work sustainably in some of the world’s most remote regions, is a huge challenge.
According to the African Development Bank, the water sector in Africa is hugely underfunded and investment will need to quadruple if we are to meet the water targets outlined in the SDGs. The private sector has an important role to play in meeting these targets and overcoming the challenges of providing equal access. The technologies to help solve the water crisis are already here, what is needed are strong partnerships to make water security projects work in the long-term.
Power in partnerships
Business partners: Founder of BrightWater Energy Solutions, Joe Carbine (Left), and Unicore Investments Senior Managing Partner, Herve Ime.
Solving the global water crisis is a huge task and tackling this challenge will require cooperation. In the USA, two companies have joined forces to help bring clean drinking water to some of the most remote corners of the African continent: BrightWater Energy Solutions and Unicore Investment.
BrightWater Energy Solutions designs off-grid solar power water purification systems to supply affordable clean drinking water to various African countries. Born from eleven years of research and network building throughout the continent, BrightWater Energy Solutions is committed to increasing access to water, especially for women and children.
Unicore Investment is a global private investment company based in New York, who focus on investing in green technology solutions in developing countries.
“I have always wanted to follow my passion for getting water to those who really need it. Working with Unicore Investment was a natural fit, and we’ve come up with a solution that takes contaminated water and turns it into something drinkable and safe,” said BrightWater Energy Solutions Founder, Joe Carbine.
“Unicore is using its existing network in renewable energy in countries like Ghana, Kenya and Benin, to get the BrightWater technology to where it is needed the most. We see where the need is, where we can have a definite impact, and where the authorities are very eager to deploy these technologies,” said Unicore Investment Senior Managing Partner, Herve Ime.
Unicore Investment helps with the initial startup costs of installing the water purification technology, making it more affordable for local authorities.
“We help with up to 50% of the upfront costs to help local governments start the initiative. We don’t just want to deploy the technology and call it a day. We think it’s important to be present the entire way, including monitoring and job creation in order to create something that is sustainable in the long run,” says Ime.
“We partner with international finance or local groups, and as new tech comes online we’re going to retrofit it so that it stays current. There’s nothing quite like it on the market,” added Carbine.
Sustainability is about ensuring economic, environmental, and social well-being for current and future generations. Therefore, it is crucial that water dispensing stations are not just socio-economically viable but also environmentally sound. To address this, BrightWater Energy Solutions has adopted off-grid solar technology that has numerous benefits for both people and planet.
The Power of the sun
In many parts of Africa, the only way to access water is from a borehole. These are basically holes dug into the ground to access the water beneath. Typically, this water would be extracted manually with a bucket or through a simple hand pump, but these methods are labor intensive and do not extract the volumes often required. Not only that, but this water is often contaminated with heavy metals or pathogens that make it unsafe to consume.
In response, many water purification systems have been designed to both extract and treat water, but these traditionally run on fossil fuels like diesel or gas. In recent years, solar-powered alternatives have risen in popularity thanks to a rapid reduction in cost, and a shift to more carbon friendly technologies. These water systems are low maintenance and self-sufficient, making them ideal for use in remote areas.
Solar power water purification systems are carbon neutral, cost effective and ideal for use in remote regions
A solar water pump system uses one or several photovoltaic (PV) panels which provide renewable energy to an electrical pump system. The water is then pumped from the ground into a storage tank that stores the water for use. BrightWater Energy Solutions have spent over a decade refining this kind of technology to be as efficient and effective as possible, bringing life-giving water to regions that previously had no access.
How does the BrightWater technology work?
The BrightWater Energy Solutions water purification system is designed to deploy state-of-the-art filtration technology, while remaining easy to use. The system comes in a self-contained unit that is simple to ship and takes just 24-72hours to install. Once installed, water pumps running on solar power suck water from a borehole and into the unit, where it undergoes various stages of purification.
A typical BrightWater Energy Solutions Water Purification System.
First the water goes through three stages of ultra-filtration down to 0.02 microns – small enough to filter out most pathogens.
Then the water gets blasted by UV disinfection lights, and finally, if required, a chlorine or electrolyte injection. The final product is water that is guaranteed – safe.
“Once the water has been treated it gets put into a specially designed sealed & lined tank where the water can be stored. From the tank we can pump the water out using solar energy to a dispensing station so that women and children don’t have to wait for water. The system can pump about 13,000 gallons (50,000 litres) in an 8-hour window through 10 nozzles,” said Carbine.
Each water station can provide drinking water for over 2000 people and can even pump water at night using residual solar energy stored in batteries. Fully off-grid, the unit can be deployed practically anywhere.
The water is paid for on a per litre basis at the refill station. This can offer a lifeline to communities that otherwise would not have access to safe drinking water. However, the water must be affordable otherwise it may do more harm than good; there is no point in providing safe water if no one can afford it.
Ensuring affordability
The average price of bottled water in Kenya, for example, is about $0.50 per litre; far too expensive for most people. While ideally water should be free for everyone, water scarcity and quality issues mean that this right is far from being realised in many parts of the continent. The need for safe drinking water is an urgent need that requires urgent solutions.
By extracting a high volume of water per day and keeping maintenance costs low, BrightWater Energy Solutions aim to keep the price of water affordable for everyone. Their target is below 20-dollar cents per litre, more than half the current price in many African countries.
“The overall picture is about sustainability and making sure the technology can operate independently but also affordably. All these things come together to provide not just quality but also quantity. There’s no point in having amazing water if people can only afford one glass a day,” said Ime. “By providing water at a much lower price we hope to force other companies to reduce their prices and increase affordability throughout.”
Providing access to safe and affordable water has numerous benefits, including improved health and well-being, and increasing gender equality by enabling women to spend less time collecting water.
The future is bright
The business partners believe wholeheartedly in their solution and aim to keep their technology cutting-edge. They are currently working on nanotechnology that will remove the need for UV lights and batteries. They’re even planning to retrofit their water stations with supercapacitors that will provide power – and water – to communities.
While the partners believe their solution ticks all the boxes, they acknowledge that solving the global water crisis will require all hands-on deck and a variety of approaches. In the future they hope to connect and partner with other organisations in order to bring water to those who need it most. Only by working together can we solve the global water crisis, one sip at a time.
Do you have an article to share? Click here to submit. If you’d like to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, click here.
