Israeli-based company Watergen's technology is being used to provide Sierra Leone schoolchildren with safe-drinking water out of thin air. Sierra Leone (SL) Watergen purchased it from Watergen USA.
GEN-350, the atmospheric water generator that produces safe-drinking water out of air, can provide the girls of St. Joseph’s girls school in Freetown up to 900 liters of water per day.
"The government is extremely pleased and looks forward to working with SL Watergen’s team to place many more of these units throughout Sierra Leone," president of Watergen USA Yehuda Kaploun said. "Watergen is currently operating in many African countries, and even more announcements about other countries in Africa using our machines and technology will be forthcoming.”
Sierra Leone, just north of Liberia in west Africa, has the life expectancy of 56-years-old, one of the lowest in the world. One of the leading causes for death is water pollution. Half of the population has no access to clean drinking water. Much of its water has been contaminated by mining and chemicals used for agriculture. Sierra Leone's water sources are often unprotected wells, ponds or freestanding water, a breeding ground for water borne infections and parasites. This one of the reasons many in the country contract diseases such as Typhoid Fever and Hepatitis A.
The GEN-350 is easily transportable, weighing 800 kilograms. It is also easy to install, with no need for infrastructure other than a source of electricity.
Watergen was named in the World Economic Forum’s list of the world’s top technology pioneers in 2018.