Mombasa Old Town WaterKiosk
About
Overview
Location
Mombasa, Kenya
Type
Solar-PV powered desalination
Capacity
5,300 GPD
Product quality
Potable
Distribution
Local
Technology type
Reverse osmosis
Land footprint:
Output:
Solar energy and fresh water
Facilities
3
Project description
The raw water source comes from a shallow borehole that is heavily contaminated with seawater and toilet flushes. The high population surrounding the water kiosk made it necessary for the plant to provide water around the clock. The Mombasa Old Town WaterKiosk is therefore equipped with three automatic water filling taps, which are operated with money and tokens.
How we reuse water
Groundwater wells located near the ocean often encounter saltwater intrusion as they pump more and more water. As a result, water that was once fresh can become salty and undrinkable over time and require treatment. Because desalination requires significant electricity to run high pressure pumps, solar energy is an ideal way to generate ‘off-grid’ energy that is both reliable and cost effective for desalination. This allows groundwater that would otherwise be unuseable to become a reliable source of additional water.