ORISA® and the 5 pillars of low-tech

At Fonto de vivo, our mission is to make access to drinking water universal, sustainable and environmentally friendly. From the outset, we wanted to design a low-tech product. After 3 years of research and development, the ORISA® water purifier was born, offering a solution that meets the 5 pillars of low-tech: useful, sustainable, accessible, autonomous and local, the last two criteria being set by Ademe.

1.

Responding to a fundamental right

Access to drinking water is a vital need to which more than 2 billion people in the world still do not have access. ORISA® has been developed to respond effectively to this crucial need, providing a reliable water filtration solution that is accessible to all.

Access to safe drinking water is essential for public health. Consuming contaminated water can have serious consequences, such as the spread of water-borne diseases that can lead to epidemics. Lack of access to healthcare complicates the fight against these diseases. Clean water is therefore essential for proper washing, safe hydration and treatment of the sick.

Access to drinking water is also essential for education. In many cultures, children, especially girls, are often responsible for collecting water for their families. By facilitating access to drinking water close to their homes or schools, their workload is reduced, allowing them to devote more time to their studies and personal development. Having access to clean water improves the health and living conditions of pupils, increasing their concentration in class and reducing absenteeism.

Finally, ORISA® encourages beneficiaries' autonomy by enabling them to filter their own water, without depending on services such as water-trucking or other time-limited humanitarian interventions. ORISA® offers an individual solution for accessing the scarce resource that is water, a vital element in making access to water universal on Earth.

2.

A positive environmental impact

One of ORISA®'s main objectives is to minimise environmental impact. Our water purifier reduces the use of pumps, motors, moving equipment and chemicals, which in turn reduces energy consumption and reliance on complex and expensive infrastructure. In addition, we reduce the need for civil engineering works, pipes and energy requirements, thereby reducing environmental disruption and the carbon footprint. By limiting the need to transport bottled water by lorry or container, we are helping to reduce the plastic pollution and CO2 emissions associated with transporting water over long distances. ORISA® is a green innovation, promoting the ecological transition.

Researchers and entrepreneurs agree that developing new technologies is not necessarily the key to solving the climate crisis. Our water purifier is proof of this, based on a long-established ultrafiltration technology. We've integrated this technology into a compact system and patented a cleaning device that makes the device autonomous for at least 2 years.

  • Integrated cleaning ORISA® water filters - Fonto de vivo

3.

Social impact and accessibility

ORISA® enables us to make water filtration technology accessible to everyone. Its universal design is suitable for all categories of people: men, women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities, ensuring that it can be used by as many people as possible throughout the world. We respect cultural tastes and beliefs by not denaturing the water, maintaining its natural properties to meet the cultural expectations of users. We ensure that the water we use is healthy for the people who use it.

  • Water filtration in Burkina Faso

  • Water filtration in Colombia

  • Water filtration in Madagascar

4.

User autonomy

One of the fundamental aspects of ORISA® is to enable users to be self-sufficient. Our individual filtration system allows users to become self-sufficient in water and therefore to meet their own water needs, whether for drinking, hygiene or cooking.

What's more, maintenance and repairs can be carried out by users or local repairers, reinforcing local autonomy and reducing maintenance costs. The spare parts included in the standard product are available on request at affordable prices, ensuring durability and easy repair of the product. Gaskets and hoses are standard products, which can be sourced locally and easily, allowing quick and simple maintenance without the need for costly special parts.

Finally, the mobility and low weight of ORISA® means it can be transported by the user, guaranteeing consistent quality of treated water regardless of its source, and adapting to a variety of environments and situations.

  • ORISA® used with a water collector

  • ORISA® at an outdoor picnic

  • ORISA®, instructions and accessories

5.

Local dynamics

We designed the ORISA® water purifier entirely in France, because supporting the local economy is a priority for us. Our low-tech, industrialized solution enables us to meet the water needs of populations in over 50 countries worldwide.

We work with governments and NGOs to ensure that beneficiaries take ownership of the system. Thanks to ORISA®, they gain long-term autonomy by filtering their water locally and taking charge of purifier repair and maintenance. On the social front, we aim to respond to the issues and expectations of local populations. Our ambition is to measure health, social and environmental impact based on local data, in order to offer increasingly personalized responses to the need for access to drinking water, while taking into account the environment and lifestyle of beneficiaries.

“Adapt and make affordable filtration technologies for everyone's uses, to meet the social and ecological challenges of our time.”

Anthony Cailleau, French representative for projects in Colombia, Managing Director and co-founder of Fonto de vivo. Contact for development aid and international cooperation.