SkyBox brings clean water to the developing world

On World Water Day 2012, The SkyJuice Foundation, together with the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, launched the first compact water filtration unit ‘SkyBox’. The unit has been dubbed as the answer to providing the developing world with access to clean and inexpensive water.

Developed with Siemens technology, and featuring similar microfiltration technology that exists in large-scale desalination plants, the SkyBox is priced at just $365 - or $1 per day - and can provide clean drinking water to as many as 100 people.

At the launch, Rhett Butler, AM Chairman of The SkyJuice Foundation, said: “The SkyBoxes can produce approximately 300-500 L of safe potable water per day, which is enough to support 50-100 people everyday for three years. This realistically translates to less than a cent per person over the life of the SkyBox.”

According to the WHO and United Nations World Water Day, over 800 million people do not have access to safe drinking water and over 2.5 million people die every year of water related diseases.

“The sad reality is that 4000 children die every day as a direct result of waterborne disease, related to unsafe drinking water. Safe affordable drinking water is an ongoing global issue,” said Butler.

“SkyJuice is sending these compact units to needy communities in east Africa. These communities will benefit incredibly by having access to a clean, secure and reliable water supply, and most importantly, the unit is sustainable, using no chemicals, power or moving parts.”

SkyBox’s sensible low cost technology makes it appropriate for Africa and other developing nations. The unit is already adapted for community plants and will target extended families and small villages. Furthermore, it is lightweight and portable and therefore has the potential for local production and enterprise development.