From Mèze to refugee camps, Agile Water’s drinking water treatment units adapt to emergency situations

Nourreddine Smali et, dans ses mains, la membrane de filtration, si précieuse pour le traitement de l’eau. Midi Libre – Patrice Espinasse

The small Mèze company Agile Water is trying to develop water purification units to help, in an emergency, the most deprived populations on the planet.

Two small words for a great ambition. Agile to adapt skillfully and quickly to emergency situations. And Water for water. Together, they form the name of a small Mèze company specializing in the design of compact, connected and autonomous ultrafiltration units.

Agile Water came into the limelight last December when Sète Agglopôle ordered a water purification unit to help disaster-stricken populations in Mayotte (see box below). But the company already has solid expertise in this area. Its well-known ancestor was none other than Farmex, created 25 years ago, already specialized in the design of large drinking water treatment and pumping units and which, from Montpellier to Mèze, pushed its growth to 40 employees and 25 million euros in turnover.

From Farmex to Agile Water via Razel-Bec

The acquisition by Razel-Bec (Fayat group) in 2015 and then the end of the shared history in 2019 put a stop to the company. Not to the activity. Thus Agile Water was born the same year.

Six years later, the small company continues the adventure at the Sesquiers plan, where it assembles small units based on a well-mastered and approved membrane technique. On the front line with his partner Lahcen El Haddaji, Noureddine Smali recalls the context of his commitment. “At the bedside of my dying father-in-law in Morocco, 80 km from Rabah, I met people who had to buy water at a very high price, otherwise they would get sick. We need 2 to 3 liters of drinking water per day to drink, brush our teeth, etc. I told myself that we had to be able to offer a standardized and easy-to-use technology.”

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

In Mayotte, a unit that remains to be installed

If it did indeed arrive at the end of December in the archipelago devastated by Cyclone Chido, The Agile Water water purification unit, acquired and donated by the Agglo de Sète, has still not been installed in Mayotte. The very difficult local conditions, mud and new bad weather have not helped at all. “The context is very difficult. We now hope to be able to put it into service in a shanty town or a place where the need is greatest. But we still need the green light from the ARS and Civil Protection. We will move forward with the Aquassistance relay (an NGO that provides assistance to vulnerable populations in the areas of water and sanitation, Editor's note),” assures Noureddine Smali.

Approved ultrafiltration membrane

A group of around thirty experts then thought about the solution to provide if, tomorrow, tap water turned brown. A visionary approach: in many places on the planet, it has become brown.“We studied all the solutions: ozonation, UV lamps, chlorination… We conducted a project in the Congolese village of Kikwit, a 12-hour drive from Kinshasa”, explains the co-founder of Agile Water.

This is how ultrafiltration membranes were born, placed in large PVC tubes. “The water that comes out of there is virus-free, bacteria-free, parasite-free. It's mechanical. We added dataloggers, data recorders to transmit the information by SMS.”

The demand is potentially enormous. The company targets countries in the South, working-class neighborhoods, refugee camps, etc. And hopes, as in Mayotte, to provide solutions to increasingly numerous emergency situations.“The demand is unfortunately there. Everyone is trying to find a solution to this major public health issue, but no one is succeeding today. We are also feeling our way, even if we offer our solutions”, explains Noureddine Smali.

“People must take ownership of the technology. If we can meet this challenge…”

With a framework agreement signed with Swiss partners, Agile Water could see its orders explode, particularly for refugee camps in Chad and Sudan. Its water treatment unit serves 50,000 people, at a rate of 12 m3 of treated water per hour.”We hope to structure the company and take off again, in an unfortunately buoyant field”, confides Noureddine Smali.

Who hopes, in the long term, to be able to manufacture locally in poor countries to reduce lead times, taxes and, above all, “transmit added value to the local ecosystem by sharing know-how”. He is convinced: “We need to change the model. People need to take ownership of the technology. If we can meet this challenge…”

I subscribe to read the rest