Access to clean water is not a privilege but a necessity. Even today there are millions who are not able to access this natural resource. Many a times people, especially from under developed and some parts of developing countries consume their water straight from the source. This water is contaminated with a number of toxic particles and waste materials which can be detrimental for their well being.
In order to solve this problem, a startup from Singapore ‘Wateroam’ has designed a product which can provide clean drinking water to those who don’t have an access to it. The company has developed a filter which is capable of converting contaminated water into drinkable one. You can also read about symptoms of camp lejeune water contamination to learn more about how drinking contaminated water puts you at risk for serious health consequences.
The device which looks like a bicycle pump, has a series of filters fit into it. These filters are capable of providing drinkable water free from 99.9999% of bacteria and from particles as tiny as 0.02 microns.
Chong Tee, CMO and Co-Founder of Waterroam said, “We just wanted to come up with practical and pragmatic solutions to change people’s lives. That’s how we got ourselves into this and we haven’t looked back since.”
The startup was founded in 2014, with a vision to build a world with access to clean water. The company was founded by Chong Tee, David Pong and Vincent Loka. The company particularly works with non profit organizations, NGO’s, religious groups and mission teams who particularly focus on providing education and awareness to the lesser privileged ones.
The RoamFilter, as the name suggests is a filter weighing only 2.5 kgs which can be used by anyone, anywhere in order to access clean drinking water. This is a completely user friendly device which can used to even hard to reach places and can prove to be extremely useful to provide relief services in the aftermath of a disaster.
Chong Tee, CMO and Co-Founder of Waterroam said, “If you want to build a solution that works in these rural places, you can’t have a design that’s overly complex. It needs to be easy to use and portable. In comparison, other water purification options like chlorine tablets aren’t sustainable.” The company which has been able to provide clean drinking water to 70,000 people so far, is aiming to reach over 3 million people in the next five years.
Another start up company EcoWorth Tech, is working towards producing a ‘super absorbent’ sponge. This sponge is capable of cleaning oil and industrial toxic particles out of water. This environmentally friendly sponge, carbon fiber aerogel, which is a pure carbon super absorbent sponge. This sponge is made purely from recycled paper and cotton.
This sponge can suck in a lot of toxicities available in the water collected. This sponge can be reused again and again by simple squeezing it. It sucks in oils, grease, fats, dyes while repelling water. The company hopes that in the coming future this product will be able to clear up oil spills near the shore.
The company has so far been able to raise up to $1 million through grants and angel investments in order to mass produce and commercialize its ‘carbon fiber aerogel’ technology.
Water is essential for life everywhere and yet there are those who can’t afford this basic facility. Such startups set an example by providing solutions for these problems in an environmentally supportive manner.
