Everything starts with clean water
Solvatten is a Swedish social enterprise that brings Solvatten Solar Safe Water System to customers, charities and distributors around the world. We also partner with organisations and micro-finance institutions to increase reach and affordability.
Solvatten is the brainchild of the Swedish inventor, Petra Wadström. The story began in Australia in the early 90s, where Petra was living with her husband Carl and their family. The Wadström’s professional background was diverse, spanning both medical science and the arts.
A charitable foundation of Solvatten was founded in 2013, focused on improving the lives of, above all, women and children, living without access to safe water. Contributions made in the US are administered by the Solvatten Charitable Foundation USA, a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions to Solvatten Charitable Foundation USA are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Living in Australia, Petra was struck by the abundance and intensity of natural sunlight. She was convinced that it must be possible to harness its strength for the betterment of those living in poverty.
Exposure to sunlight was key, as this has the effect of both purifying and heating water. After succesful initial trials of the device several field visits throughout Africa and Asia took place, where Petra and her team began conducting studies to validate the efficacy of her creation in a variety of contexts. Today, Solvatten is used in more than 20 countries around the world reaching more than 260.000 people.