Pumps and pump components supplier Grundfos has further enhanced its sustainable water solutions product offering for use in remote areas, following the launch of the solar- powered AQpure water treatment system at Grundfos South Africa’s open day.

The event took place at the company’s facilities in Meadowdale, Johannesburg, from September 10 to 11.

The AQpure system uses polyvinylidene difluoride membrane technology to produce potable water from raw-water sources such as borehole water. The membrane acts as a filtration mechanism, removing bacteria, viruses and particles from the water. The clean water is then pumped into an attenuation system, where consumers can access potable water.

Grundfos Zimbabwe area sales manager Prosper Shoniwa tells Engineering News that the solution was designed for use in rural communities, which often do not have access to clean water.

The AQpure solution complements the Grundfos SQFlex range of environment-friendly submersible pumps, which employs either solar panels or wind turbines to generate electricity to power a submersible pump. Water is then drawn from the source and pumped through the AQpure, purifying the water before storing it in an attenuation system.

Shoniwa explains that the SQFlex and AQpure systems can be applied with the company’s AQtap water dispenser system, which is an integrated revenue collection and water management system designed for sustainable water supply in remote areas. He adds that the solution acts as a water vending system, which enables consumers to withdraw water using the Grundfos WaterCard prepaid system.

Consumers touch their WaterCards against a receiving point on the AQtap, which manages and displays the available credit on the card and dispenses water through a button-operated tapping system. The AQtap also displays the credit and amount of water still available on the card while the water is being dispensed. Once the consumer has filled the container with water, he/she presses a button to stop the tapping system.

The system also monitors water consumption through an online water management system (WMS), which remotely processes and publishes the transactional and operational data of the system. The intelligent WMS also improves service and maintenance processes by providing operational reports of the AQtap.

The AQtap system made its African debut in Nairobi, Kenya, in June and was designed to help developing nations manage their water consumption.