One of the largest issues facing the world right now is access to clean drinking water. In more developed nations, plumbers protect the public’s health by providing them with safe, clean drinkable water. Other parts of the world struggle to gain access to this. But, a new device, run solely on solar power, could be changing all that.

This desalination device, developed by Solar Water Solutions, runs exclusively on solar power to treat water and transform it into a drinkable source. Aside from having a smaller carbon footprint, this system is actually cheaper over the lifetime of the machine. It can essentially pay for itself within three to four years.

CEO Antti Pohjola says “basically the running costs are zero, because solar is free. The process also filters water through a membrane that removes bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants. The devices are modular, and a smaller system can produce 3,500 liters of water an hour.”

The first system is in place at the University of Nambia. The hope is that the success of this system will lead to the expansion of others, especially in lesser developed countries; Nambia’s president actually declared their second state of emergency in three years because the lack of rain is leading to food shortages.

The long-term goal is to make “water infrastructure local through decentralized systems” and to also continue providing clean drinking water to areas that struggle to gain access to it, especially in times of environmental need.

Credit: FastCompany & Solar Water Solutions