Residents of the Mathare slum area of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, are now able to access cheaper and cleaner water through an ATM-style dispenser
People living in slums traditionally rely on vendors, which are expensive, or polluted sources to get drinking water. But all have now changed as residents of the Mathare slum area of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, are now able to access water through an ATM-style dispenser with the use of a smart card, which is designed to provide cheaper and cleaner water.
Residents now swipe the smart cards, topped up at a kiosk or through a mobile phone, at the dispenser and water starts flowing from the tap. The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage company says it is charging half a Kenya shilling (half a US cent) for 20 litres of water. This is much cheaper than the rates being charged by the water vendors.
The dispensers have been set up through a partnership between the local government and the Danish water engineering company Grundfos.
Source: BBC Africa