Solar Power, Mobile Phones Converge to Distribute Water in Kenya

The New York Times on how solar power and cell phone converge to distribute water in Kenya.

On the heels of complaints about corrupt distributors and conflicts over the fair allocation of water, a community in Musingini, Kenya, is working with Safaricom and Grundfos Lifelink, a division of the Danish pump maker Grundfos Group, to implement a solar-powered, pay-for-use water vending system using the M-PESA backbone.

The solar-powered well is activated using a smart card, which permits water to flow until either the card is removed or the user’s account runs out of credit.

... ”With this system we can monitor remotely how efficiently the solar well is operating, how much water has been used and how much income has been generated,” Mr. Hansen added.

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emily | 2:24 PM | Mobile phone projects - Third World |
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