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- Solar energy
- Senegal: Clean Energy from Solar Systems
- Mali: Rural electrification with PV-Mini-Grids
- Brazil: Agriphotovoltaics in the village of the indigenous Pankará
- Mongolia: Heating with solar electricity
- Madagascar: Clean solar power replaces heavy fuel oil power
- Kenya: Solar water desalination system
- Madagascar: Solar powered rural electrification program
- Dominican Republic: Harnessing Solar Potential to Increase Energy indpendence
- Nigeria: Clean energy for rural electrification
- Iraq: Power supply for the refugee camp Mam Rashan
- Solar Power for the refugee settlement Domiz 1 in Iraq
- Madagascar: Clean electricity and organic food
- Lesotho: Solar Home Systems
- Ethiopia: Solar Home Systeme
- Indonesia: Solar powered water desalination plant on an island
- Ghana: Innovative distribution system for solar home systems
- Sambia: solar-powered irrigation system for smallholder farmers
- India: Solar Thermal Power Plant
- East Africa: Electric Public Transport
- Morocco: Solar Drip Irrigation for Smallholder Farmers
- Tanzania: Cooking with Solar Electricity
- Madagaskar: Solar Power for Better Healthcare
- Togo and Burkina Faso: Decentralized solar drinking water networks in West-Africa
- Kenya: Solar water desalination system
Kenya: Solar water desalination system
WaterKiosk in the village Burani
Installation of a 10 kWp PV plant for the Waterkiosk in Mombasa Old Town
Inauguration of the WaterKiosk in Tudor
The WaterKiosk technical team
Fish breeding tank of the aquaponik plant in Burani
Reverse Osmosis System Planet Cube ASW2000l from Boreal Light GmbH
Water bottling at the WaterKiosk Diani into a refillable 20l canister
Inauguration of the WaterKiosk Diani
Vertical fruit and vegetable farming as part of the aquaponic plant in Burani
Current portfolio of the WaterKiosks in Kenya
Summary
| Total savings : | Approx. 35 tonnes CO2/year per WaterKiosk |
| Technology transfer : | Solar water desalination system for the production of clean drinking water by modified reverse osmosis |
| Local environment : | Replaces firewood used for boiling to clean water; avoids deforestation; avoids long distance transport of drinking water by truck or motorcycle |
| Further advantages : | Access to safe and affordable drinking water; reduction in water-born diseases |
| Project partners : | Boreal Light GmbH, WaterKiosk Limited |
Access to clean drinking water
In 2014, 43% of the rural population in Kenya obtained their drinking water from unprotected (“unimproved”) sources [1]. More than half of these people even collected their drinking water directly from surface water sources such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. The result is a higher incidence of waterborn diseases, for example typhoid and diarrheal illnesses.
In 2018, atmosfair partnered with the company WaterKiosk to improve the drinking water situation in the country. WaterKiosk operates solar-powered water kiosks at accessible locations across Kenya, where local communities can obtain clean and safe drinking water. The technology is provided by the German manufacturer Boreal Light and is based on reverse osmosis. Solar panels installed on the kiosk roofs generate energy, which is used to force water through a semipermeable membrane that removes contaminants, pathogens, and even salt ions. The result is drinking water of the highest quality, regularly certified by a government inspector. Local residents can collect the water from the kiosks in reusable containers.
The water kiosks are equipped with integrated batteries and do not require fossil fuels or connection to the regional power grid. This makes them suitable even for remote areas with very limited infrastructure. In 2023, WaterKiosk reached a new milestone with 34 locations in operation.
The water from the kiosks is safe to drink immediately and does not need to be boiled. This not only saves Kenyan families time and effort. As of 2022, 59% of the population in Kenya still uses open fires for cooking [1], so the firewood otherwise required for boiling water is also saved. In this way, the water kiosks help reduce deforestation rates and the associated release of CO₂.
In 2022, the share of the rural population relying on unimproved water sources dropped to 32% [1]—nine percentage points less than in 2014. Our partner organization WaterKiosk contributes to this positive development and is committed to enabling access to clean drinking water for an increasing number of people in the future.
Our WaterKiosks ® Portfolio
Burani WaterKiosk (until 2023) Mombasa Old Town (until 2023) Diani WaterKiosk
WAJIR Barwako WaterKiosk Nakuru WaterKiosk Naivasha WaterKiosk
Tudor Waterkiosk (until 2025) Ukambani WaterKiosk (until 2023) Bururubu WaterKiosk (until 2023)
Habaswein WaterKiosk (until 2023) Voi WaterKiosk (until 2023) Mwingi WaterKiosk (until 2023)
Wajir 3 WaterKiosk (until 2023) Lodwar 1 WaterKiosk (until 2023) Lodwar 2 WaterKiosk (until 2023)
Nyali WaterKiosk (until 2023) Takaba WaterKiosk (until 2023) LIKONI WaterKiosk
WAJIR BOR WaterKiosk (until 2023) Wajir 4 WaterKiosk Rongai WaterKiosk (until 2023)
Mtwapa WaterKiosk Garissa WaterKiosk (until 2023)
Our partner
WaterKiosk Limited is a Kenyan company responsible for the local construction, operation, and maintenance of the individual water kiosks. The company aims to provide people across Kenya with access to clean and affordable drinking water.
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