BJERRINGBRO, Denmark — Oct. 8, 2015 — Grundfos A/S will produce an intelligent water dispenser near Chennai, India, for markets around the globe, according to indiatvnews.com.
The new business will operate under Grundfos Lifelink, stated the article. "Grundfos India will be the global assembly site for the AQtap-the water dispenser,” said Peter Todbjerg Hansen, managing director, GLL, Grundfos LifeLink A/S, in the article.
The company will also construct a modular water treatment plant in India that uses ultrafiltration, noted the article. It also operates a pump manufacturing facility in the region under the Grundfos Pumps India name.
Consumers can obtain water from the dispenser with a smart card, reported the article. They will place the card in a slot and place a can under the tap to receive the water. “The recharging of the card can be made through the mobile payment mode or by cash mode,” Hansen explained in the article.
The unit can operate as a standalone piece or as part of the water utility’s network and mini-grid of water kiosks, shared the article. Usage data can be analyzed to produce a water map for the area.
EKutir, a local Grundfos franchisee, will begin operating the dispenser in January 2016, noted the article. Grundfos will also explore partnering with government and private sectors.
Hansen said in the article that 18 percent of the 833 million rural Indian population has no access to treated water. Fifty-four percent of the country experiences high to extreme water stress.
The filtration and dispensing system will target areas rural areas and those near urban areas with sizeable populations without treated drinking water, stated the article. Grundfos may partner with a large Indian group for its decentralized biological wastewater treatment plant.
Click here to read the entire article.
