WATERSPOUTT · Project

Solar-Powered Water Disinfection Systems for Safe Drinking Water in Remote Communities

environmentPilotedTRL 6

Imagine leaving a water bottle in the sun and having it come out safe to drink — that's essentially how solar disinfection (SODIS) works, and this project scaled it up. The team built larger containers — 20-litre jerrycans and rainwater collection systems — that use sunlight to kill harmful bacteria in water. They tested these across four African countries where roughly 156 million people still drink untreated water. After more than 15 years of research, they turned a simple science trick into practical, affordable water treatment that communities can use without electricity or chemicals.

By the numbers

156 million

People in Africa relying on untreated drinking water sources (2015)

20L

Capacity of SODIS jerrycans and ceramic pot filtration systems

Consortium partners across the project

Countries represented in the consortium

15+

Years of prior SODIS research experience by consortium members

African countries where technologies were piloted

The business problem

What needed solving

Roughly 156 million people in Africa lack access to treated drinking water, creating both a humanitarian crisis and a massive unserved market. Existing water treatment solutions require electricity, chemicals, or expensive infrastructure that simply does not exist in remote communities. Companies in water treatment, humanitarian supply, and container manufacturing need affordable, off-grid solutions they can produce and distribute at scale.

The solution

What was built

The project built and field-tested three main technologies: harvested rainwater SODIS systems for domestic and community use (South Africa, Uganda), transparent 20L SODIS jerrycans (Ethiopia), and combined 20L SODIS/ceramic pot filtration systems (Malawi). They also produced community educational programmes on solar technologies and conducted health impact studies with end-user communities.

Audience

Who needs this

Water purification equipment manufacturers targeting off-grid marketsNGOs and development agencies running clean water programmes in AfricaPlastic container and jerrycan manufacturers serving developing marketsSocial enterprises focused on affordable water treatment solutionsGovernment water and sanitation departments in sub-Saharan African countries

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Water treatment equipment

SME

Target: Water purification equipment manufacturers looking to expand into off-grid markets

If you are a water treatment company struggling to serve remote communities that lack electricity and piped infrastructure — this project developed solar disinfection systems including 20L transparent jerrycans and combined SODIS/ceramic filtration units, field-tested across 4 African countries with 18 consortium partners. These low-cost devices need no power or consumables, opening a market serving 156 million people who still rely on untreated water sources.

Humanitarian aid and development

any

Target: NGOs and development agencies working on clean water access programmes

If you are a development organisation running clean water programmes in sub-Saharan Africa — this project piloted community-scale rainwater harvesting and solar disinfection systems in South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Malawi. The technologies were co-designed with local communities and come with ready-made educational programmes. With field data from 12 countries and proven low-cost designs, these solutions can be integrated into existing water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes.

Plastic and container manufacturing

SME

Target: Manufacturers of food-grade plastic containers and jerrycans

If you are a plastics manufacturer producing jerrycans or water containers for African or Asian markets — this project developed specifications for transparent 20L SODIS-optimised jerrycans and combined filtration systems. With 156 million potential end-users in Africa alone who need affordable point-of-use water treatment, licensing these designs could open a new product line. The consortium includes 3 industry partners already involved in production and distribution.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would these solar disinfection systems cost to produce?

The project focused on affordability for resource-poor communities, using simple materials like transparent plastic jerrycans and ceramic pot filters. Based on available project data, specific per-unit production costs are not published, but the designs deliberately avoid electricity, chemicals, or complex components to keep costs minimal.

Can this technology work at industrial scale or is it only for household use?

The project developed both household-level solutions (20L jerrycans, ceramic pot filters) and community-scale systems (harvested rainwater SODIS). Based on available project data, the focus was point-of-use rather than municipal-scale treatment, making it best suited for distributed deployment across many households and small communities rather than centralised plants.

What is the IP situation — can we license these designs?

As a Horizon 2020 RIA project with 18 partners across 12 countries, IP ownership typically sits with the consortium members who developed each technology. The coordinator is the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Licensing discussions would need to go through the relevant consortium partners who hold rights to specific designs.

Has this actually been tested in real conditions?

Yes. The project explicitly piloted and field-tested technologies in South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Malawi with end-user communities. Health impact studies were conducted among these communities. The consortium team brought more than 15 years of prior SODIS research and African field experience to the project.

What regulatory approvals would be needed?

Point-of-use water treatment devices typically need to meet WHO guidelines for household water treatment and national drinking water standards. Based on available project data, the technologies align with WHO-recognised SODIS methods, but specific country-level certifications would depend on where you plan to manufacture and sell.

How does this integrate with existing water infrastructure?

These are standalone, off-grid solutions designed specifically for areas without piped water infrastructure. The rainwater harvesting SODIS systems, 20L jerrycans, and ceramic pot filtration units all work independently — no electricity, plumbing, or chemical supply chain required. This makes them complementary to, rather than dependent on, existing infrastructure.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 18 partners across 12 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 13 universities and only 3 industry partners (17% industry ratio). This means the technology is strong on science but will need commercial partners to bring products to market. The geographic spread is notable — it includes both EU technology developers (Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, UK) and African implementation partners (Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa), which means the field-testing was done in genuine target markets. The coordinator, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, brings credibility but is an academic institution. A business looking to commercialise would need to negotiate with multiple partners for different technology components.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN IRELANDCoordinator · IE
UNIVERSITY OF MALAWIparticipant · MW
DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITYparticipant · IE
INNOVA SRLparticipant · IT
STICHTING IHE DELFT INSTITUTE FOR WATER EDUCATIONparticipant · NL
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEW UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELAparticipant · ES
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS MEDIOAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICASparticipant · ES
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTHparticipant · IE
MAKERERE UNIVERSITYparticipant · UG
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNEparticipant · CH
HELIOZ GMBHparticipant · AT
UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOSparticipant · ES
BOGAZICI UNIVERSITESIparticipant · TR
MEKELLE UNIVERSITYparticipant · ET
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITYparticipant · ZA
UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDEparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland — reach out through their research office or the project website contact page

Order a report on this consortium See ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN IRELAND profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the WATERSPOUTT team to discuss licensing their solar water treatment designs? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the right consortium partner for your needs.

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