Social Good Engineering Magazine: GineersNow Social Innovation GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 001 | Page 94

R E N E WA B L E S
Photo Source: MIT
Yep, It’s Possible!
Water Purification using Solar energy
T
he availability of clean potable
water is a global concern. The
lack of potable water is felt
mostly by the remote commu-
nities scattered across the de-
veloping and underdeveloped
countries. Fortunately, there seems to
be new hope for these communities
thanks to a new water purification
technology. This technology is not that
difficult to maintain as well since it is
powered by solar energy.

Residents of La Manchalona,
a remote village in the Yucatan pen-
insula, are using a water purification
system developed by the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology. Together,
they have developed the system to be
self-sustaining for the long run.

There are nearly 450
indigenous residents in the village
of La Mancalona. The researchers
from MIT developed economic and
technical models which could be used
for transforming the technology from
use in the lab, to use in the field. With
the help of th