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Sujol

Since hand pumps were installed to supply the population with drinking water, some 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to contaminated groundwater, with 10 million drinking highly toxic water every day. A water treatment plant using proven techniques incubated by EMF is now being built to remove the arsenic and salinity from the water.

Pilot launched

The pilot that will test the purification technology in the field in Bangladesh was officially launched by Allerd Stikker of EMF at an opening bell ceremony at Amsterdam's Stock Exchange on 15 December 2010. It followed the award that month of a substantial grant by the Netherlands Water Partnership to the consortium composed of the Dutch Ecological Management Foundation (EMF), the Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), Voltea - a company of Unilver Ventures, the Proportion Foundation, Micro Water Facility and Akvo to start the ambitious project. Legal support is provided by Norton Rose LLP.

Arsenic contamination

Founded by Allerd Stikker and Iqbal Quadir of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship and founder of the Grameen Phone Company, in 2009 the Clean Water Foundation launched an initiative designed to provide safe drinking water in areas of Bangladesh affected by serious arsenic contamination and salinity problems.

Field tests

After completion of the exploratory stage of analysis and feasibilities studies, in June 2010 EMF took over the project and started testing a technology developed by Voltea in Sassenheim that purifies groundwater contaminated with arsenic and turns it into safe drinking water while ridding it of its salty taste.

Upscaling

If the current pilot iin Bangladesh is successful, the project aims to set up small-scale water purification factories which will eventually be taken over by local entrepreneurs.

Aqua-Aero Water Systems BV and PT Ruhaak Phala Industries combine forces to build water kiosks providing drinking water and energy to poor people in Indonesia. Micro Water Facility, part of the Aidenvironment incubator, provides business development support and attracts financial means.