A Novel Way to Purify Water

An interview with Francesca O’Hanlon, founder of Blue Tap

What inspired you to start Blue Tap?

I was building a chlorine injector for Engineers Without Borders in Mexico. They found that their customers were not drinking the water as much as the organization wanted to, because the chlorine tablets would not disperse properly, meaning that some cups of water were highly chlorinated, and others not at all.

My task was to work on designing a chlorine injector. I then set the project aside and went back to university to study for a master’s degree. After that, I worked with Doctors Without Borders, where I spent one year working in South Sudan and six months in Central Africa Republic, providing water and sanitation to displaced populations.

I was responsible for ordering a chlorine injector, but the cost was extortionate—around US$1,600. When I started studying for my PhD, I started exploring the idea of developing a low-cost chlorine injector using 3D printing.

What is Blue Tap’s business model?

After having tested the design in the lab in 2016, we went to Uganda to do some field trials. We wanted to implement a development project in a different way; rather than selling or donating the injector straight to the end user, we set ourselves up as a community interest company.

We sell the chlorine injector for US$33 to local plumbers and they get training on chlorination and managing their business.

The plumbers then sell it on to the beneficiaries along with their service for around US$53. This not only helps plumbers to improve their income, but it also means that there is always someone in country who is managing the chlorine injectors.

Why is a chlorine injector better than other mechanisms of water purification?

A lot of contamination happens when people store water in dirty containers and chlorine is the only form of purification that protects water that is in storage.

Why did you decide to use 3D-printing to produce chlorine injectors?

When I was a student at the engineering department at Cambridge University, they had just bought 3D-printers which were very fashionable at the time. It has been amazing for us, because it is a fantastic technology to prototype.

You can design a chlorine injector, send it to print and six hours later you can test it in the lab—we could therefore assess the effect of making changes in the design very quickly. Without 3D printers our project would have taken 2–3 years longer and by being affiliated with a university, we basically had no expenses.

What advice can you give people who want to found their own start-up?

I would recommend partnering up with people who have different skill sets. For Blue Tap, it was crucial to have someone who has a detailed understanding of technology, someone with a business mindset, and someone with a development background. Also, find people you get along with—it makes it so much easier to work as a team.

Do you have what it takes to invent the future? Our Young Champions of the Earth prize, powered by Covestro, is open until 31 March. Apply now!

*SOURCE: UN Environment. Go to ORIGINAL. 2019 Human Wrongs Watch