Deutsche Hospitality joins forces with atmosfair to fund a second solar-powered water treatment plant

Berlin, 01. June 2018

10,000 people in Asmant to the South-West of Cairo have been enjoying access to clean drinking water with effect from this month following a cooperative project between Deutsche Hospitality and the climate protection organisation atmosfair to set up a second self-sufficient water treatment plant in the Egyptian desert. The project has been financed using monies raised by the “Deutsche Hospitality 1×1” scheme, which donates €1 to charitable causes for every booking made via the Steigenberger and IntercityHotel websites.
Egypt is dominated by desert landscapes. Rain is a rarity across the whole of the country, and this means that water shortages are part of the daily struggles faced by the population. Poor drinking water quality is a further problem to contend with. Nevertheless, there are many small and medium-sized oases located to the West of the Nile which have led to the establishment of little villages. The usual practice adopted by people living in such locations is to obtain water from the mains or from a well and then allow it to pass through a special kind of clay vessel (known as a “zir”) for several hours. Although this process reduces the iron content of the water, it is unable to remove hazardous germs and other pathogens.
Having launched an initial water treatment plant in El Kefah, Deutsche Hospitality has now funded a second such facility in Asmant. So-called “SunMeetsWater” technology enables a decentralised location to be chosen. Photovoltaic modules on the roof of the plant mean that no external electricity source is needed and that no emissions are produced. The system also filters out all heavy metals and thus disinfects the water at the same time.
Up to 10,000 litres of water which meets the quality standards laid down by the World Health Organisation can be supplied every day. Plans are in place to introduce a card payment system in the near future in order to secure the long-term sustainability of the project. Each user of the plant will receive a prepay card which can be held against a reader when water is drawn. These revenues will enable maintenance and repair measures to be financed in future.

atmosfair is an experienced partner which is able to offer a strong local presence. It also collaborates with the “Research Institute for a Sustainable Environment” (RISE), a multi-disciplinary and not-for-profit organisation which forms part of the American University in Cairo.
More information on the project is available at: https://www.atmosfair.de/de/klimaschutzprojekte/solarenergie/aegypten/
A video on the first drinking water treatment plant in El Kefah can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=m54OpTZ_ElY