Water.

When we think of water, we imagine it falling from the skies, waves on a beach, water easily flowing through our taps, or available in the markets under various brands.

As a matter of fact, access to drinking water is the least of our worries.

But did you know that while 70% of the earth’s surface is water, only 0.5% is use-able and available freshwater, one-third of the world’s population live without access to safely managed drinking water, and this includes 80% of the people living in rural areas (WHO/UNICEF).

The conventional solution i.e. centralized water supply results globally in a drinking water loss of about 30% due to pipe leaks, can be as expensive as €250,000/km, especially when large distances need to be covered, and is vulnerable to failure, making it not fit for rural areas.

People living in rural areas and remote communities have to rely on the nearest available water source. These sources can be at large distances and/or are contaminated. According to the UN, at least 1.2 billion people worldwide are estimated to drink water that is not protected against contamination from feces, and even more consume ‘drinking’ water of dubious quality, that is delivered through a system without adequate protection against sanitary hazards.

In most cases, the water is boiled, using wood fires, before being used for drinking. This results in huge CO2 emissions. Also, in the wet season during floods, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, the source water becomes even more polluted, so boiling is not an option anymore.

What is needed?

To have easy access to plug-and-play decentralized solutions that can be used day in and day out anywhere in the world from the jungles in Africa to the remote corners of Asia.

How can it be achieved?

Q-Drop is a decentralized, stand-alone system that can be deployed and used anywhere and in any climate.  i.e. from the jungles in Suriname to the war-torn Ukraine. It is a stand-alone, plug-and-play, modular water technology, which is readily set up. It can be powered by renewable energy and is 100% CO2 neutral. It purifies any source of water (river, lake, rainwater, borehole) into high-quality drinking water (meets EU and local water regulations) while requiring minimal maintenance. The energy storage systems in the Q-Drop units are optimized to achieve maximum CO2-emission reduction and are +95% recyclable. It is completely automated, monitored remotely, and through AI predictive maintenance is performed. The most important innovation of Q-Drop is the elimination of chemical handling, storage, and transport by producing all the needed chemicals for periodic membrane cleaning on-site to ensure maximum performance through its entire lifespan.

All of this helps BOSAQ achieve the lowest total cost of ownership with maximum operational control through chemical-free operations to maximize sustainability.

To date, BOSAQ's technology, Q-Drop, has enabled approximately 20.000 thousand people (including women and children) to access safe and clean drinking water easily at low cost while eliminating carbon emissions (~1.380 tons per year). Due to the low cost, micro development is stimulated, and local committees can set up water vending points. Significant time is saved when women and/or children don’t have to fetch water daily. They have more time for education, contribute positively to society, and live a healthier life.

We are transforming the lives of communities from the jungles of Suriname, remote areas in South Africa, to providing water to schoolchildren, in their playground in Rwanda, to aiding people in the war-torn Ukraine by providing easy access to a fundamental human right. Easy access to clean and safe drinking water.

We are also helping companies make their process water use circular. In our recent projects, Q-Drop purifies alternative sources for high-quality process water and drinking water production. Even domestic wastewater treatment effluent is being reused for high-quality drinking water and process water production.

We are creating a positive impact across the globe, one Q-Drop unit at a time. Do you want to be part of this change? Find out more about BOSAQ's positive impact in Suriname and Rwanda.