OTTERPACK
Innovative solutions for crisis situations
Introduction:
Typhoons, floods, hurricanes and other disasters can damage drinking water wells and contaminate the aquifer and sources. Flood water can pollute well water with animal waste, human faeces, chemicals and other contaminants, which can cause illness when used for drinking, bathing and other hygienic activities. Wells shallower than 15 metres are particularly susceptible to contamination.
If your team or community is facing a disaster, emergency or water shortage, it is essential to take steps to prevent diseases caused by unsafe water.
Otterpack™ is a lightweight (only 20 kg!), personally portable, energy-independent water purification station based on reverse osmosis technology. It can handle ANY type of water contamination (salt water, bacteria, cysts, viruses, organic/inorganic pollutants, pesticides, herbicides...), including sabotage of the water supply system. What's in the water doesn't matter. Otterpack™ guarantees high-quality drinking water without the need for testing before or after the purification process.
Unlike traditional water purification systems, which are large, heavy, complex, energy-demanding and expensive, Otterpack™ is simple, lightweight and independent of energy sources, making it ideal for vulnerable communities in need of clean water.
The system can provide up to 2 litres of high-quality drinking water every minute (120 litres per hour) without any energy source - simply by turning a hand crank or using the built-in rechargeable battery, standard vehicle battery or solar panel. According to "Sphere Book" standards, Otterpack™ meets the drinking water needs for one hundred people in just two hours. This is a significant impact!
Otterpack™ is not only designed for easy carrying, but also for quick setup at any location. Its user interface allows operation by people with basic technical knowledge, regardless of the environment. The entire system can be effortlessly disassembled and assembled using a standard multipurpose tool.
Otterpack™ enables clear and simple monitoring of water quality and notification of membrane replacement needs. A specially developed mobile AI application tracks, analyses and reports on system performance, permeated and purified water quality, water treatment capacities and component efficiency.
Otterpack™ is designed to meet or exceed the strict drinking water quality standards established by the World Health Organisation. This commitment ensures that communities receive the highest quality water, guaranteeing their health and wellbeing.
Simplicity in assembly and disassembly, handling and maintenance, as well as speed of setup.
Otterpack™ is delivered ready for use; all the end user needs to do is find a source of surface water.During the disaster recovery phase, access to clean water becomes a critical issue. Water sources are often chemically or biologically contaminated due to runoff, infrastructure collapse or flooding. In such or similar situations of critical water shortages, clean drinking water becomes an absolute priority for humanitarian missions, survival planning, demanding mountaineering expeditions, remote construction sites and many other circumstances.
However, with Otterpack™, any suspicious water source can be quickly and easily converted into safe drinking water in just four steps:
1. Easily access ANY (even the most contaminated) available water source:
2. Connect three hoses to the system:
3. Insert the suction hose into a suspicious water source:
4. Turn the hand crank to produce high-quality drinking water, while simultaneously monitoring water quality:
Otterpack™ is a platform that enables rescue teams, humanitarian organisations or local populations to independently solve challenges related to water purification.
Therefore, a lot of scientific research and rigorous testing has been invested in building a sustainable system that can function in the field for a long time, allowing the local population to use and maintain it without the need for external experts, components or logistical support.
The innovative design of the system allows for easy relocation between different communities or seasonal water sources. It takes just a few minutes to fully set up at the desired location, providing an efficient and practical solution for people's needs during clean water crises.
The Otterpack™ system is specially designed for vulnerable populations in environments with poor infrastructure. Innovative features (such as self-cleaning, membrane rinsing and refillable filters) make the system self-sustainable and independent. It can serve rescue teams, refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities for many years without the need for external supplies or maintenance.
In response to user feedback on the Otterpack™ system from areas affected by water crises (including the Philippines hit by super typhoon, war-torn Ukraine, flooded Tanzania, Chad affected by terrorist attacks, Nigeria and others), a decision was made to adapt Otterpack™ to the specific needs of populations in conflict and disaster zones.
Taking into account the characteristics and environment of vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, the following changes were implemented:
A completely energy-independent operating mode was adapted.
An artificial intelligence-based mobile application was created.
Digital display of water quality was simplified.
Water purification components were replaced with durable and self-sustainable versions.
System operation and support processes were designed to minimise human errors and ensure safety.
System maintenance was designed to be performed without special tools and in any environment.
The weight of the system was significantly reduced.
Here are the most significant innovative features of the Otterpack™ system that can be effectively used during water crises, pandemics or natural disasters:
• Uncompromising filtration – completely removes not only all bacterial threats, but also chemical contamination, including the most dangerous toxins. Challenges in water treatment usually require detailed analysis of locally available water sources. Based on advanced reverse osmosis technology, Otterpack™ can immediately process ANY water from a locally available source without the need for prior analysis. Thousands of systems can be deployed within a few months, immediately impacting hundreds of thousands of people.
• Energy independent, manual operation mode – unique mechanism that activates the purification process through the reverse osmosis system manually (the only such system in the world), by simply turning a handle, without external or internal power source.
• Unique design – integrated backpack for hands-free carrying, easily portable. The entire system maintenance can be performed in any environment using a simple standard multi-purpose tool.
• Water purification in large quantities – despite its light weight (only 16 kg!) and compact dimensions (75x45x35 cm), it delivers up to 2 litres of high-quality, tasty water per minute (120 litres per hour!!!)
• Water quality control – intuitive digital Go/NoGo water quality monitoring with independent power sources.
• Self-sustaining – The system operates safely, minimising human errors, whilst the maintenance routine is based on local resources. Innovative water purification components enable recharging and CIP self-cleaning processes. The system can operate for an extended period without replacing filters and membranes, making it inexpensive to maintain and cost-effective in the long term.
• This is the only portable RO (reverse osmosis) system with an online AI application for real-time monitoring, notification and optimisation of system performance, as well as remote water quality assessment.In 2023, for the development of this AI mobile application, the company was declared the winner of the prestigious CERPRIZE award for innovative internet technologies that improve the world.
Three main options for obtaining drinking water exist in crisis areas with limited infrastructure and complex environments. Although some of these methods have advantages, they also carry serious problems, especially for vulnerable groups:
Collecting unpurified water from local streams – the most common and dangerous method.• Exposure to biological and chemical contaminants poses a serious health risk.
Boreholes/Wells – second most frequent.• In most cases, water from them does not meet WHO standards for drinking water and must be tested, while testing equipment is expensive and often unavailable.• Requires constant support from a technical expert. When the system fails (especially during a natural disaster), people are left without access to drinking water.• In times of conflict, it creates predictable gathering points for vulnerable persons (especially women and children), exposing them to attacks by militias and criminals.
Standard water purification stations:• Require a power source, which is inapplicable in areas without active electrical infrastructure. Solar solution is not constant and limits the portability of the system.• They are too large and heavy, requiring transport. In times of crisis, owning a vehicle is often not an option, and road infrastructure is usually poor.• Not simple to use and maintain. They require specific technical skills and experience, and usually cannot be used by local residents independently.• Require frequent replacement of water purification components.• They are expensive.
The Otterpack™ system is specially designed for vulnerable populations in environments with poor infrastructure.
Innovative capabilities (such as self-cleaning, membrane flushing and refillable filters) make the system self-sustainable and independent, capable of serving vulnerable communities for years without the need for external supplies or maintenance.
The unique combination of high water production, uncompromising protection, easy portability, rapid and mass deployment, as well as sustainable features and techniques, enables efficient coverage of wide territories in a short period of time. The system design allows it to be easily moved between communities or seasonal water sources, with complete setup in just a few minutes.
Additionally, contamination and salinity of surface and groundwater, especially in developing countries, are increasingly growing, while standard water and energy infrastructure lags behind, making such innovative and comprehensive technology an essential tool.
However, Otterpack™ is not just an impressive high-tech device that protects vulnerable communities from waterborne diseases, harmful chemicals and salinity. It is a sustainable technology designed to be self-sufficient in the long run. Since the system produces high-quality, tasty water (like bottled commercial water), it also represents a business opportunity for system users – they can trade purified water to ensure the financial sustainability of the system over time.
Complete portability was one of the main guidelines during the research and development process of the Otterpack™ product. The system is specifically developed to address emergency water shortage situations, with the aim of eliminating limitations in mobility and the ability of rescue teams or vulnerable populations to reach ANY available water source in the environment.
Our challenge was to pack an advanced water purification station and water quality monitoring system into a simple backpack.
It's hard to believe, but the design, weight and dimensions of the system allow it to be checked in as standard luggage on a commercial passenger flight!
One day of training is more than enough for anyone, even a person without any technical skills, to be able not only to activate Otterpack™, but also to perform all on-site cleaning procedures and prepare the system for conservation.
The system is not designed for water purification experts, but for vulnerable populations with no prior experience, in hard-to-reach, off-grid areas.
For example, a system user will need only two minutes to replace the pre-filter or three minutes to rinse it - all without the need for any tools and at any location.
Globally, nearly a billion people do not have regular access to clean water. In addition, contamination and salinity levels in surface and groundwater are increasing. Climate change is leading to more frequent environmental disasters that further complicate access to drinking water. The problem of water scarcity is becoming increasingly serious.
There are technologies that can purify contaminated water and solve the problem of scarcity, but they are large, heavy, energy-demanding and complex to use. Such systems are expensive and environmentally unfavourable. Moreover, these solutions in practice are not truly accessible to the communities that need them most.
Otterpack™ projects have been successfully implemented in war-affected Ukraine (in cooperation with Sheba Humanitarian & Disaster Response Center), in the Philippines affected by super typhoon (in cooperation with IsraAID and HALT Palawan NGO), in the indigenous community CCNN Flor De Ucayali in the Amazon region of Peru, affected by drug cartel activities (in cooperation with WWF and Colgate-Palmolive company), in the Chaco province in Argentina affected by drought (in cooperation with the Vatican, the Water Educational Pact Forum and Scholas Occurrentes organisation), as well as in the Nigerian federal state of Borno which suffers constant terrorist attacks (in cooperation with Alto Sieg Nigeria Ltd and the non-governmental organisation Feed the Hungry Nigeria International), as well as in several other similar projects.
Ability to use any water source, no matter how contaminated
No need for electricity, works manually
Fast setup and operation in the field
Can be carried easily to remote or unsafe areas
Reliable long-term use with minimal maintenance
Energy independence (no electricity needed)
Powerful water purification (removes all contaminants)
Portability and ease of use (backpack design)
Long-term use without external supplies
AI-powered system monitoring
All of the above
