Swiss Partners
Swiss Fresh Water, Lausanne,
www.swissfreshwater.com,
Renaud de Watteville
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Documentation
Swiss Contribution
Swiss Fresh Water is a new start-up coming from the EPFL. Directors have a wide experience in project management and water treatment. This pilot project is conducted in collaboration with the Impact-finance Company, based in Geneva, which is specialized in developing and financing projects in developing countries.
Description
Swiss Fresh Water Ltd has developed a low-cost desalination system for salt or brackish water, which allows small-scale production (400 liters drinking water / day) by using solar energy. The system has been designed to be easy to use, has simple upkeep and is of low energy consumption.
SFW has now decided to conduct a pilot project in Sine Saloum Delta in Senegal where 225,000 people live. Outside of the rainy season, which is about 8 to 9 months a year, people mainly drink water from brackish wells. This water is highly charged with fluorine and it causes serious health problems. When the population can afford it, they also buy imported drinking water which is shipped to the islands by canoe, car and truck. The SFW project aims at contributing to decrease in health impacts, time, money and energy consumption (transport) resulting from water supply.
SFW expects that the success of the pilot will confirm that the concept of low cost and decentralization has a great potential in Senegal, where other regions have already been identified for replicating the concept.