Wall-Mounted Water ATM System
Clean Water Tank
Solar Panel
Conductivity Meter
(measures water quality)
Flow Sensor
Solenoid Valve
(electronic control mechanism
to open and close the valve)
Wall-Mounted Water ATM
of critical features: it would have to be
secure and tamper-proof; it would have to
be remotely controllable; it would need to
be cashless; it would need to be insulated
from extreme heat and be able to keep
water cool; and it would have to have an
easy-to-use interface that would reduce the
complexity of behavior change.
We began to develop a low-cost, solar-powered, self-contained water-vending
machine that would keep clean water secure
and could be refilled by the nearest franchisee, thus reducing the capital, operating,
and maintenance cost of each unit. It also
helped our franchisees increase capacity
utilization of their units by broadening
their customer base; one franchise could
distribute water at many widely distributed
points. Our water ATMs are now operated
by RFID-based smart cards that can be
“topped up” in the same way that users buy
talk time for prepaid cell phones: at any lo-
cal store or through a roving representative.
This device is central to our future—it has
inspired a vision of a saturated marketplace
with water ATMs on every corner that allow
villagers and city-dwellers alike to get safe
water when they want it.
DEPLOYING THE WATER ATMS
We deployed the first water ATM in early
2011 and currently have about 40 of them
in the field. We are at a point where we can
build thousands of them. The real issue
we now face is where exactly to put them?
We’re currently working with the city of
Delhi to bring clean drinking water to a
resettlement colony on the outskirts of
the city, and interest has already started
WATER ATM DESIGN
REQUIREMENTS:
- Secure and tamper-proof
- Remotely controllable
- Cashless
- Insulated from extreme heat
and able to keep water cool
- Easy-to-use interface reducing
the complexity of behavior change
