Case study of
#00057 Containerized solar-PV reverse osmosis operated by the local community
Kiunga, Kenya
#00049
Implementer
GivePower Foundation
Timeline
Since Jul 1, 2018
Location
Description
A containerized solar-PV reverse-osmosis plant installed in 2018 in Kiunga, a remote coastal fishing community south of the Somali border, where residents previously relied on brackish, contaminated water. Solar panels and battery storage run pumps and RO membranes 24h/day; trained local staff operate the system; water is sold cheaply via mobile money to fund ongoing repairs and consumables. The model has since been replicated in Mombasa and La Gonâve, Haiti. Capital cost was ~US$565,000; build time approximately one month.
Metrics
4Funding
Lessons learned
- Embedding a water-sales cost-recovery mechanism (via mobile money) into the operating model from the outset is what separates sustained operation from the 'maintenance graveyard' pattern common in donor-funded water projects.
- RO delivers municipal-scale volume (~75,000 L/day) that passive solar distillation cannot match, but introduces membrane and battery consumable dependencies that must be budgeted for over the 20-year design life.
- Most available evidence is operator- or donor-sourced; replicators should plan for independent functionality audits, as multi-year third-party verification across sites remains scarce.
Documented Jun 7, 2026