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[[Image:safe_water_systems_icon.png|right|80px]]
[[Image:setup of WATAsol.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Setup of WATAsol, with electrodes in salt water.]]
The WATA device and its use was designed by [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking-water.html Antenna Technologies] based on the norms of the World Health organization on for example the accepted quality of water, amount of chlorine needed to disinfect 1L of water and the acceptable amount of free residual chlorine.
'''When chlorine is added to water, it has three separate effects:'''
# Some chlorine reacts through oxidation with organic matter and pathogens in the water and kills them. This portion is called consumed chlorine.
# Some chlorine reacts with other organic matter and forms new chlorine compounds. This portion is called combined chlorine.
WATAsol is now being produced in around 50 countries. It reaches the people in need through local NGOs, and local community and private enterprises. Starting from 2009, Antenna Technologies is hoping to expand their reach further through partnership-franchises with local enterprises as partners. The WATAsol has also been incorporated in development programmes led by other organizations.
===Suitable Conditions===
The concentrate is suitable for various applications:
* To wash food: 1 part concentrate is diluted with 100 parts water. It needs 5 minutes to react, after which the food should be rinsed with drinking water.
===Construction, operations and maintenance===
The effectiveness of chlorine depends on the turbidity, the organic matter content, the temperature and the pH of the water being treated. For high turbidity levels, the water should first be filtered through a cloth or sedimented before adding chlorine. These processes will remove some of the suspended particles and improve the reaction between the chlorine and pathogens.
The WATA device is expected to operate for about 20,000 hours. If used for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would last about 4.5 years.
===Costs===
Excluding shipping, the costs are:
After the initial set-up costs, the cost of using a WATA kit has been estimated at 0.01 euros per litre of concentrate, cleaning 4000 litres of water.
===Field Experiences===
The WATAsol has been supplied to partners and is being used in around 50 countries including:
Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chile, Congo-Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking_water/wata_drc_en.html Democratic Republic of Congo], Djibouti, Ecuador, [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking_water/wata_guinea_en.html Guinea Conakry], Haiti, India, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking_water/wata_mali_en.html Mali], Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking_water/wata_nepal_en.html Nepal], Niger, Reunion, San Salvador, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
In the [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking_water/wata_drc_en.html Democratic Republic of Congo], Antenna supports a women-led programme which provides education and WATA kits to individual households, to ensure safe water on a household level and reduce common waterborne diseases such as cholera.
===Manuals, videos, and links===
* [http://www.antenna.ch/en/ WATA kit manuals, provided by Antenna Technologies.]
* [http://www.antenna.ch/en/drinking_water/wata-quality.html Quality control reagent manuals, provided by Antenna Technologies.]
* [[Solution_of_the_week_3|Akvo water solution of the week 3.]]
===Acknowledgements===
* [http://www.antenna.ch/en/ WATAsol].