Project Lead(s): Charles Ochola
Issue
Chronic exposure to drinking water with elevated fluoride levels can cause fluorosis, a condition that eventually results in malformed or brittle bones and mottled teeth.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum fluoride drinking water level of 1.5 mg/L, many drinking water sources in Kenya have levels in excess of 2,000 mg/L.
There is a need for innovative, environmentally friendly technologies that can remove trace contaminants (such as fluoride) from water in a sustainable manner, particularly from communities that have limited resources and technological capabilities.
Solution
The goal of the project was to use a novel technology (HAIX-ZnO) to remove fluoride from drinking water, to benefit the million people currently exposed to very high concentrations of fluoride in Kenya.
The HAIX/ZnO particles technology is already patented and used in filters that are placed over water pumps. This project was designed as a proof-of-concept initiative, to scale up both production and utility of the particles for defluoridation.
The project involved partnering with current filter suppliers and women-led groups in the Kenyan Rift Valley. The other goal was to scale up HIX resin production so that, upon partnership with municipal water providers, people would have access to fluoride-safe water.
Another goal was to produce large filters that can be used by water distributors and to partner with local companies. This was achieved through partnership with TransAfrica (to provide large filter cartridges) and JB Drilling (partner in site identification, selection and implementation) as well as several water kiosk partners across the Kenyan Rift Valley.
Outcome
The project team demonstrated that HAIX/ZnO technology could achieve reduction of fluoride in drinking water, from 3–8 mg/L to 0 mg/L.
With partner organizations, the team trained women and other local villagers on the value of fluoride removal from drinking water and developed a fluoride removal system to address local needs in regions that are poor.
Examples include the Marigat water kiosk, run by a church and women’s group in Baringo county, which serves a population of about 5,000, and the Nakuru water kiosk, run by women nurses, which serves a population of about 3,500.
Though use of HIX resin has a higher initial cost, the benefits far outweigh the costs.
Scaling up resin production was achieved, but was moved from the production site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (U.S.) to Mumbai (India) to enable sufficient quantities to be produced for the larger pilot-scale tests, and also in preparation for larger facilities that require more resin.
The team has developed a business model that enables them to prepare for market entry starting in late 2016 and they intend to apply for Transition To Scale (TTS) funding.