2 Nigerian Female Students Invent Dirty Water Purifier, Win International Award

Water purifying device is cost-effective

According to Siwi, the project was adjudged the best by the jury’s panel because it can make potable water available to all and is cost-effective, economically viable, practicable and scalable.

‘Bithermal Water Distillation Device uses the readily available solar energy in the Tropics to purify water.

As reported in a BBC interview, Elizabeth and Ajara were motivated by the lack of safe drinking water in their community in the Makoko area of Lagos state.

Ajara said:

“I was in the kitchen boiling water and I just thought about it – that the way the water is evaporating from the cooking pot and condensing by the cover of the cooking pot I was like, we can use this idea to purify the water because the evaporated water is the distilled water and it is the purest form of water.”

The device uses local materials like sand, charcoal and fibre. During an interview with Siwi, Elizabeth said:

“I was born and bred in Makoko where there is little or no source of clean, drinkable water. Makoko is a community surrounded by water but there is no clean water. The environment is literally a dumping area with one the worst drainage and sewage systems which makes the situation of no clean drinkable water worse.”