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Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives

CHAIN
ACCESS TO SAFE WATER

Access to Safe Water Project

Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives

Solvatten is a combined portable water treatment and solar water heater system that has been designed for the household level. It is made of durable plastic materials that withstand heat and the treatment process only requires solar energy. It treats water-containing bacteria, viruses, and parasites and is effective against diarrheal diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. The technology is safe, reliable and simple to use, sustainable, cost-effective, socially and culturally acceptable.
CHAIN attends promotions, and exhibitions, partners with organizations and uses individuals to promote and distribute the Solvatten.
Over 3,500 households have access to safe water through the use of the Solvatten technology. The project is supported by Myclimate.

THE PROBLEM
Wood harvest for domestic cooking and boiling water is one of the major causes of deforestation around the globe. The burning of wood not only damages the environment but can also negatively impact human health. In addition, many women and children spend much of their time gathering fuel instead of putting that time toward more productive purposes. 95% of Ugandans use biomass fuels and 31.4 million Ugandans cook over three stone fires or open charcoal stoves which emit high quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. (source: impactcarborn.org)
Approximately 9.6 million Ugandans lack access to improved water sources, and this has caused 27,200 deaths annually due to waterborne diseases. (source: impactcarborn.org)

HOW THE PROJECT ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM
The use of solvatten technology for 1-7 years will;
Save 10 – 14 tons of fuel wood
Save 50 – 70 trees
Save 7 – 10 tons of carbon emissions
Save 0.3 hectares of forest
Lead to 313 reduced sick days
Save more than 47,000 hours

How Solvatten operates
Solvatten uses filtration, heat, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun to purify water making it safe for drinking. Each solvatten unit consists of two hinged containers each holding 5.5 liters of water. The containers have a black rear surface which heats up and raises the temperature of the water between 550C – 750C; the transparent surface was made of a special plastic material which enables 90% of transmission of solar radiation. The design also exploits thermodynamic principles to create convection currents which maximize the exposure of the micro-organisms to UV radiation and heat.

Solvatten promotion
CHAIN is working in over 14 districts to promote a sustainable safe water solution for communities. The districts include; Moroto, Gulu, Kayunga, Lira, Wakiso, Kampala, Soroti, Amuru, Jinja, Mbale, Arua, Iganga, Mbarara, Bugiri, Kitgum among others.
CHAIN attends promotions, and exhibitions, partners with organizations and uses individuals to promote and distribute the Solvatten. The table and graph below show the number of units acquired in different households in Uganda.