The “1001 fontaines” concept

By the commonly agreed definition, access to drinking water means the provision at the point of consumption or in close proximity (a fountain for example) of some 25 to 50 litres per person per day to cover all of their needs (drinking, cooking, sanitation).

The provision of drinking water generally involves techniques such as locating and storing water (from underground or surface sources), a basic treatment of this with chlorine and a distribution network to deliver the water to the consumer. Given the cost of these techniques, such solutions are generally only deployed in areas where there is a sizeable population density. There are numerous small isolated villages, which may have to wait for decades before having access to a distribution network.

The “1001 fontaines pour demain” approach is to install a “fountain” in these small rural villages, which permits the villagers themselves to produce their own drinking water in conformance with World Health Organisation standards without having to wait for a distribution network. This innovative solution meets

3 key requirements :

• A simple technical solution, which ensures that contamination due to bacteria is eliminated. The purification system is based on the use of ultraviolet rays and was adopted because it is easy to install. However, it does have two limitations - it cannot purify water which has been contaminated with chemical products and, unlike the process of chlorination, it cannot guarantee that the water will not become re-contaminated.
  The fact that the system is powered by solar panels means that it is self-sufficient and can be implemented in remote locations.
• A durable solution, based on the “small private operators” concept. This ensures that the system is self sustaining. It is not a question of installing a system which may be out of service after several months due to lack of spare parts, but rather to create an economic activity which depends on the system being maintained.
• A low cost solution, which benefits the maximum number of consumers : it costs just one cent of one euro per litre of clean water.

An approach which can be deployed on a large scale

Contrary to many initiatives which provide a once-off solution to a particular village, “1001 fontaines pour demain” has larger ambitions. By virtue of its systematic approach of creating sustainable businesses, the goal of “1001 fontaines pour demain” is to deploy the solution on a large scale in many countries.