Solar-Powered Water Disinfection Device

Easy to handle, reliable and cost-efficient – in a nutshell, these are the characteristics that make the WADI unique. This solar-powered water disinfection device can be easily screwed onto PET bottles. The UV rays destroy viruses and bacteria. As soon as a smiley appears on the WADI, the water is germfree and thus drinkable. The most important target markets are economically disadvantaged regions in Africa and Asia. This is why it was of special concern to the inventor of the WADI, Martin Wesian, to develop a product that has a high service life at a low price. His collaboration with Lenzing Technik (Austria), who relies on a sophisticated manufacturing technology, has made this combination possible. No later than in October this year, production of the first 200,000 WADIs will start at the Austrian Schörfling plant, which is the mechatronics site of Lenzing Technik GmbH.

According to the motto “Buy two, donate one”, the WADI, which stands for Water Disinfection, will be sold in the USA and Europe. “This means that you buy two units and automatically donate one to those regions where the WADI is desperately needed”, clarifies the inventor of the WADI, the Austrian Martin Wesian. In order to establish the WADI‘s sustainably positive effect, Helioz is looking for supporters all over the world via the crowd-funding platform Indiegogo. After having relied on Lenzing Technik’s expertise in terms of design and the search for suitable materials, Wesian’s distributor Helioz signed the contract for ready-to-ship products with Lenzing Technik GmbH a few days ago. So far, the Mechatronics Unit of Lenzing Technik has produced the circuit board for the WADI. “When doing so, the Lenzing team has proved highly professional and reliable. Lenzing Technik has outstanding international experience, another reason why it has been our preferred partner for production”, emphasizes Wesian.

The main challenge for the mechatronics team at Lenzing Technik was to combine the longest possible service life with cost efficiency and at the same time to develop products that are ready to ship. “Given that the WADI is produced for individuals who can’t take the constant availability of drinking water for granted, we are specially pleased to offer a device that works reliably for years“, declares Herbert Hummer, Managing Director of Lenzing Technik. At the Schörfling site, a newly developed, fully automated test and calibration bench ensures a rigorous quality control. The WADI is manufactured, assembled and packed for shipping by Lenzing Technik.