Inventions improve access to water for world's poorest

The Hippo Water Roller was developed to ease the difficulty of transferring water long distances in Africa. In many parts of rural Africa, villagers have to walk up to five miles--more in the dry season--to access water.

The traditional method for water transport has been to balance a large container on the head, which can cause spinal problems. It is also difficult and time-consuming, and generally villagers can only transport about five gallons at a time.

The water roller works much like a lawn mower, but instead pushing around a blade and motor, villagers are able to push a 24-gallon barrel of water. The design makes the effective weight of the barrel 22 pounds, which is relatively easy to push.

The water roller frees up time for children to attend school and for women to attend to other domestic tasks, as well as income-earning tasks. 24 gallons of water is enough to meet daily needs for five people. The Hippo Water Roller Project also provides education about clean water practices and drip agriculture.

Another invention, known as the Solvatten (Swedish for "sun water"), uses solar energy to purify water. It has a ten liter capacity and takes several hours to reach a safe temperature. The device has been tested on water containing E.coli at high concentrations and has successfully purified it. It also contains a physical filter to rid the water of larger impurities.

A test program of the Solvatten is being run in Nepal this year, with cooperation from UNESCO and ENPHO.