In many parts of Kenya's capital of Nairobi, clean water is difficult to come by. That usually means taking your chances with dysentery from an impure source, or paying through the nose from a "water vendor."
The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage company has just opened four ATM-like kiosks that will dispense 20 liters of potable water for just half a Kenya shilling (about half a US penny).
Kenyan school children making use of the ATM-like water solutions
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However, the BBC reports that thanks to a partnership between the African nation and Danish water company Grundfos, that's about to change.
Sources say the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage company has just opened four ATM-like kiosks that will dispense 20 liters of potable water for just half a Kenya shilling (about half a US penny).
Reports say that's 100 times less expensive than what vendors charge for the same amount. Residents simply have to swipe a smart card and put a jug under the spigot, and the access card balances can be refilled either at the kiosk itself or via mobile phone.
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The plan is not new -- it's actually been in use in rural Kenya for a while now -- but it's thought to be the first time such a distribution scheme has been tried in an urban city center.
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