REvivED water begins pilot testing in India

Students examine the desalination unit

As part of the continuing development and testing of small, solar-powered desalination systems for rural areas, REvivED water recently established two innovative units in Gujarat, India. Working alongside members of the local community, project partners Phaesun installed one pilot system at a Hindu temple and the other at a school.

As with the systems REvivED water is operating in East Africa, these low-maintenance, self-powered units use electrodialysis to convert brackish water to fresh drinking water without needing to be connected to a power grid. This technology offers an alternative to bottled water or more energy-intensive desalination technologies such as reverse osmosis, both of which can be prohibitively expensive in rural communities. These particular installations have been welcomed by the more than 1,300 pupils, monks and other local users, and it has additionally sparked an engineering interest among the students. 

Beyond simply installing the systems, local operators are given training and guide materials on running, maintaining and troubleshooting the desalination units. This is reflective of REvivED water's goal of transitioning these pilot tests into viable long-term solutions.

Hindu monks visit the installation.

Two local operators are trained on the desalination unit