Rural Kenya has recently become the first test market for a Danish company’s innovative pilot project to bring clean water to those who need it most. Grundfos, a water engineering firm, has placed a number of card-operated water kiosks in rural Kenyan communities, hoping to provide an alternative, and safe, source of drinking water.

According to Water.org, only about half of Kenya’s 45.5 million citizens have access to safe drinking water, and access to improved sanitation services is even lower. This creates a serious health risk as waterborne diseases are easily spread, as well as an opportunity for extreme price gouging.

While Kenya may be dealing with a severe water shortage, there is no lack of waterborne illnesses in the struggling nation. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death for children under five in Kenya, surpassed only by pneumonia, and water-related illnesses are the leading cause of hospitalizations in this age group as well. Access to safe drinking water is paramount, yet water from vendors is often no safer than water from any other source.

Despite this, some water vendors may still charge up to 50 Kenyan shillings for 20 liters of water. That’s about 50 cents per 5 gallons of often dirty water, in a nation where almost half the population is scraping by on less than $1.25 a day. But when faced with a choice between walking several miles to fill a single water jug, or paying for uncertain water in the village, many are willing to take the risk.

Grundfos’ water kiosks not only provide Kenyans with water that is guaranteed safe to drink but at a fraction of the cost. At a cost of only a single Kenyan shilling per 20 liters (less than one cent), the Grundfos water kiosk is revolutionizing water access to a number of rural Kenyan villages. Participants simply swipe their card, select the desired amount of water, and their account is charged and the water dispensed. Money can be added to water accounts at the kiosks or via smartphone.

Grundfos has recently placed their water kiosks in Kenya’s Mathare slum, their first experiment in an urbanized environment. They have yet to release a report on how their system is performing, but officials have confirmed plans to expand to Nairobi in the near future.

– Gina Lehner

Sources: PSFK, VOANews, UNICEF
Photo: Child Fund International