Autarcon GmbH

With the spin-off of AUTARCON GmbH from the University of Kassel in 2010, the company set out to solve the problem of contamination and thus the greatest challenge of drinking water supply in rural developing regions. For over 12 years, AUTARCON has focused on the concerns and needs of the local population. Thanks to AUTARCON, around 100,000 people worldwide have already been supplied with safe drinking water on a long-term basis, thus improving their health in the long term.
As part of numerous development projects and the experience gained there, the technology was developed from pure water disinfection to a platform. AUTARCON can use it to solve site-specific challenges in a targeted manner. In addition to the actual drinking water treatment, a user-oriented solution that takes into account the socio-economic conditions on site also includes suitable operator models.
The Kassel-based company supplies the necessary components and know-how for this. The systems are adapted to the specific conditions on site and otherwise use locally available components wherever possible. This saves a considerable amount of material and transportation costs and transfers the added value to the respective region.

In many regions of the Global South, the lack of germ-free, quality-controlled drinking water is the cause of diarrhea and other illnesses. AUTARCON has developed a method to reliably supply people in rural areas of India and Africa with germ-free drinking water. Around 100,000 people, 30,000 of them in India alone, are already benefiting from this. The water is disinfected using a chlorine solution generated on site using solar energy. Other pollutants such as arsenic can also be removed. Consumption-based payment models cover the operating costs of the installed systems in the long term. Training courses for local staff ensure the operation of the systems.

AUTARCON will use the prize money to evaluate and co-finance locations for drinking water facilities in the Indian provinces of Maharashtra and Assam and to introduce a piped prepaid system. This will enable up to 8,000 people living there to be permanently supplied with safe drinking water.

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