Introduction
Only 42% of the people in the Democratic Republic of Congo have access
to clean water. That means that 47 million people do not have access.
Having access to clean water is one of the strongest felt needs of the
community. The predominant technology for providing water in rural Congo
is spring capping, but springs are usually far from the village down in
valleys, creating hardship and danger for the women and children that
fetch water. The use of hand pumps has been tried, but historically have
been expensive to install and they break quickly. Forming committees to
collect funds to repair water systems has had mixed results with the
majority disbanding within a year or two of their creation.
Recent improvements and reduced cost in solar powered water systems have
made them a viable alternative for addressing the clean water shortage
in Congo. They require a professional company for installation and
maintenance, however. The use of Smart Taps (water ATMs) produced by
Lorentz water is an equitable low cost means of assuring long term
maintenance of the water systems by professionals.
System Description
The water source is usually a bore hole, but it can also be a
hand dug well or capped spring. A variable speed solar pump is used to
pump the water into a water tower. The water tank is made of modular
panels so it can vary in capacity based on the population served and the
flow rate of the water source. The water ATMs (Automated Teller
Machines) dispense the water from the water tanks and are installed at
health facilities to synergize with people coming for health care and
preventative services, to assure clean water at health facilities and to
improve management of the system. Installation generally starts where
there is an existing water system and just a water ATM is needed for
dispensing the water and along with some minor repairs. Many of these
sites are not currently functional because the pump, generator or
plumbing is broken. These problems can be fixed at low cost and water
ATMs are added.
Each family wanting water can purchase a NFC key at a
subsidized rate. They then buy credits to put on the key from a credit
seller with a smart phone app for transferring the credits to the key.
The sellers are generally health facility staff or an enterprising
person that wants to be a water credit seller. When the key is placed on
the water ATM, water starts flowing and credits are consumed. Every 2¢
of credit will buy five litters of water. The keys can be set up to give
free water as well. Currently, every family gets five liters free every
day and the health center gets 80 liters free. A video of how the system
works can be seen at the
Lorentz website .
System Financing
Installation of new systems requires grant funding. A
complete system costs about $50,000 (borehole, piping, water tower,
tank, solar powered pump and Lorents Smart taps and labor). Once
installed, maintenance of the system is covered by the income from the
sale of water. Where this has been piloted, an average of 2,500 liters
of water are being sold each day per site. This brings in approximately
$300 a month, 10% of which goes to the water seller, 30% for the
maintenance of the system, 30% for administration, and 30% goes back to
the community for indigent care and special projects the community would
like to fund. An estimated 40 functional units are needed before the
administration and maintenance of the sites becomes sustainable.
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