October 29, 2004 -- Ghana is one of the countries to benefit from $1.2 million equity investment by The International Finance Corporation, IFC, in WaterHealth International Inc., WHI, ?to develop and market water purification/disinfection systems that will provide potable water to small communities, institutions, and households ?,? according to a Press Release posted Oct. 28, on the Corporation?s website.
The investment in the innovative water treatment project by IFC is the first of its kind by the Corporation, the private sector financing arm of the World Bank Group, the Press Release indicated.IFC?s $1.2 million equity investment in WaterHealth International Inc., WHI, ?was made through its Environmental Opportunities Facility, whose role is to identify proven technologies that address local environmental problems in developing countries. The facility provides commercial credits and technical assistance to companies that can effectively deliver products and services to meet the market demand for clean water.?
The Release indicated that WHI is a privately held corporation based in Lake Forest, California that ?provides decentralized, scalable water purification systems that have low capital expenditures and operating costs.?According to the Release, WHI?s water purification systems are practical and affordable for a wide range of populations in emerging countries who need clean water.The Release said, ?WHI systems can provide the rural poor with 10 liters a day per person of safe, high-quality drinking water ? at an annual cost of less than $2 per person.
?The technology WHI uses for the water treatment systems ?is a recent and tested innovation developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [LBNL], a premier, internationally respected laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy managed by the University of California,? according to a posting on its (WHI) website.The website posting states further, ?The core technology employed in WHI's systems is a patented, non-submerged ultraviolet energy technology above a gravity-driven water flow.
The award-winning UV technology is designed to deactivate bacteria, viruses, and cysts such as Cryptosporidium that cause acute illnesses and lead to debilitating, sometimes terminal diseases.?As an addition, ?WHI?s systems also include components designed to address specific problems such as turbidity, silt, tastes, odors, minerals and certain chemicals.? WHI declares in its website posting, ?For water without turbidity and without UV-absorbing dissolved impurities, the UV dose delivered to the water is three times higher than that required by NSF [National Science Foundation] International. WHI's systems exceed the drinking water treatment standards established by the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
?WHI?s website posting documents positive results of tests done to confirm the quality of water its systems produce by a number of reputable scientific laboratories in various countries including Mexico, The Philippines, South Africa and USA.The core technology employed in WHI's systems is a patented, non-submerged ultraviolet energy technology above a gravity-driven water flow. The award-winning UV technology is designed to deactivate bacteria, viruses, and cysts such as Cryptosporidium that cause acute illnesses and lead to debilitating, sometimes terminal diseases. WHI?s systems also include components designed to address specific problems such as turbidity, silt, tastes, odors, minerals and certain chemicals. For water without turbidity and without UV-absorbing dissolved impurities, the UV dose delivered to the water is three times higher than that required by NSF International.
WHI's systems exceed the drinking water treatment standards established by the World Health Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency.WHI has several water treatment systems designed for private homes, business locations and communities. For example, ?The Community Water System [CWS] is a complete on-site water treatment system designed for small rural or urban communities without dependable access to centralized water disinfection. The CWS effectively treats water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, protozoan cysts, silt and heavy turbidity. Each system can provide 10 liters of water daily per person for 4,000 people.
Other uses include ranches and farms in areas with frequent natural disasters or contaminated water supplies, rural schools, hospitals and clinics, borehole locations in rural areas and large rural estates.
?The IFC Press Release quotes Dr. Tralance Addy, president and CEO of WHI, thus, ?The global need for safe water is staggering, and we believe we are uniquely positioned to serve that need through a combination of our innovative technology and a business model that addresses needs in underserved areas. IFC?s investment funds are ear-marked for development and expansion of our operations in Ghana, India, Mexico, and the Philippines.
?WHI issues a caution that whereas its ?Class A? water treatment systems disinfect and remove microorganisms and other substances from untreated water, contaminated water sources and produce clean, safe drinking water, they (the systems) are ?not intended to treat raw sewage or wastewater.?
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