The Tata water purifier is a low-cost water purification system designed for the masses. It is designed by the Tata group, which is the same company that manufactured the highly novel Nano car in India, which also was developed for the masses. The formal name of the purifier is the Tata Swach, which is Hindi for “clean”.
Access to fresh clean drinking water in rural areas and villages in India and many other locations is severely limited. This has caused numerous health related illnesses and problems for decades. Access to clean healthy drinking water to the people of these locations via simple low-cost method would positively change millions of people’s lives.
Thankfully, the Tata water purifier aims to do exactly that. It does not require access to the electrical grid for functioning which is highly important since many people located in remote villages do not have access to electricity. The unit itself is about 2 feet high and is essentially portable and can be taken quite easily anywhere it is needed. The unit does not require access to running water either.
The technology involved for water purification includes a filter made from rice husk ash. The ash is combined with small silver particles that has the capacity to destroy bacteria and illness causing organisms. The unit is able to purify up to 3000 L of water, which is sufficient to supply a standard family of four with clean healthy drinking water for up to one year. There is also an indicator which shows the life of the filter in when it needs to be replaced.
The upper chamber of the Tata water purifier allows for easy cleaning by hand. The two chambers are stacked on top of each other which reduce the height of the box for packaging. It is expected that over 1 million units will be sold in the first year of its launch in India. The manufacturer is hoping to eventually take its product overseas to other underdeveloped countries that are starving for access to fresh water, such as Africa and Southeast Asia.
The Tata water purifier could prove to be a true lifesaver for many poor people in developing countries. Globally, over 1 billion people don’t have access to safe drinking water. In addition, the vast majority of diseases in developing countries are associated with dirty and contaminated drinking water, which causes millions of early deaths. In India alone nearly half 1 million children die every year from diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking water.
There is no need to boil the water and there is not even a need for access to running water. No chlorine, bromine, or iodine is used or necessary for the purification process. And as mentioned, no access to electricity is necessary either. This is wonderful news for many disenfranchised people around the globe.
For more information about this product and where to purchase, please visit the manufacturers website here.