The Issue:
Traditional sewage and wastewater treatment facilities are uneconomical in small villages in rural areas where the population density is very low. Furthermore, know-how and financial means are often lacking in developing countries to build, run and maintain those facilities. As a consequence:
- Wastewater from toilets reaches the groundwater untreated
- People get sick or even die from
drinking contaminated water collected at the well
- People spend a high proportion of their income on bottled drinking water
The Solution:
Develop a business model so that every household in every village in tropical rural areas can be connected to a sanitation system so that no untreated wastewater is released. The focus of this project is on individual on-site treatment and disposal, which we call “Safe Water Gardens” (SWG). The SWG kills bacteria and uses up the nutrients so that the ground water becomes safe to drink, after being run through a ceramic filter. The technical solution is based on the guidelines compiled by GTZ in cooperation with Oxfam, IFRC and UNICEF for the reconstruction of sanitation systems in Aceh and Nias, in the wake of the Aceh Tsunami. Implement a pilot project for a small (about 100 households) village in Bintan, Indonesia
2. Share results and business model to scale up the solution throughout Indonesia and other tropical areas in the developing world
We are seeking the collaboration of social impact investors, local institutions, foundations and companies that have extensive operations in rural areas e.g. palm oil or tree plantations.
