The breakthrough follows a six-month field trial in rural communities in Rajasthan and West Bengal, conducted with support from Community Jameel and Jameel Corporation, the university said at a press conference in Nagano.
Researchers at Shinshu University’s Endo Special Laboratory have developed a novel RO membrane that delivers high water permeability at ultra-low pressure, allowing purification using a simple hand pump. The technology has received NSF/ANSI 58 certification, an international standard for water purifiers.
Nearly two billion people globally lack reliable access to safe drinking water, with many rural areas unable to use conventional RO systems due to water contamination and unreliable electricity supply.
According to trial results published in Elsevier’s Results in Engineering journal, the hand-powered system doubled water permeability compared with many commercial RO membranes and reduced manual operating energy by about 50%.
The system functioned entirely without electricity, batteries or solar power, making it suitable for remote and infrastructure-poor settings, the researchers said.
Community feedback formed a key part of the evaluation. Residents in both Rajasthan and West Bengal reported improvements in the taste and appearance of well water, as well as perceived health benefits following regular use of the pump.
The project was carried out with cooperation from Indian non-governmental organisations Seva Mandir and the Rupantaran Foundation, and was initiated after a meeting in 2023 between Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, founder of Community Jameel, and Professor Morinobu Edo of Shinshu University.
Mohammed Jameel, founder and chairman of Community Jameel, said access to clean water remained a critical global challenge and that the pilot programme could improve health and quality of life for millions.
The research team is now exploring commercialisation and scaling of the technology, with plans to localise manufacturing and deployment. Beyond household use, the system could be deployed for emergency water purification during disasters and in other electricity-independent environments.
