Uma Desai

WaterHealth International

WaterHealth International (WHI) is a global leader in providing access to safe, WHO-quality affordable drinking water to underserved communities. WHI has developed a low-cost business model for the installation, operation, maintenance, and quality monitoring of community water purification systems called WaterHealth Centers. WHI has installed more than 500 WaterHealth Centers across India, Ghana and Nigeria, providing access to safe water to more than 5 million people. WaterHealth works through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to set-up a water purification plant [which can typically serve a community of population ranging from 5,000 to 20,000] where the land, raw water source and electricity are provided by the community. WaterHealth raises the funds to procure and install the water purification plant based on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) agreement signed with the Local Government Agency i.e. Panchayat or the Municipality, with a concession term spanning 15 -20 years. WaterHealth implements 6 stage purification process including RO and UV. The end product branded as dr. water, is tested every fifteen (15) days on physical, chemical and microbiological parameters to ensure that the water quality strictly meets WHO standards. WaterHealth's technology is designed to recover up to 70% of water and the rejected water is used for landscaping and backwash. The Company's scope of work extends beyond the purification and water life cycle management, WaterHealth runs well conceived Social Marketing programs to change Community behavior towards safe water. These programs are customized to spread awareness about the health benefits of safe water, even in communities where little or no healthcare knowledge exists. WaterHealth received GIIRS ‘Platinum' rating for its impact business model that are specifically designed to solve social and environmental problems.