What do Zwarte Cross and Palestine have in common?

Holy Shit!

You can find the BluElephant at the Dutch festival Zwarte Cross with the project "Wijwater". The BluElephant was born out of urgency. Where our water system is a given in the Netherlands, it is not in the West Bank. For years, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals from this area faced wastewater management problems. The transportation of wastewater at the time posed (unnecessary) health risks. World Waternet as initiator, felt that this had to change. Thus, in collaboration with Jotem and many other partners, the BluElephant technology was born. This purifies wastewater directly and on a small scale at the local level. The very first 3 demo units in the world started here in 2022.

Initial Operation and Challenges

The BluElephant units in Salfit and Halhule treat up to 4,000 liters per day, per unit. This is 16,000 festival glasses of beer. After three months, a membrane blockage halted operations. Despite initial setbacks, the local staff restored functionality, with World Waternet and Jotem's help. In the process they gained valuable experience in the process and the use of the pilot unit. Now we are testing whether the units are also suitable for purifying urine/discharge from festival-goers.

A circular system

A BluElephant unit can process about 6,000 liters daily. It is now used by the Red Crescent Clinic (Red Cross), nearby apartments and the Ministry of Transportation in the West Bank. It requires 20 kilowatts per day (4 solar panels) and requires minimal local maintenance. This saves costs on septic tank emptying and provides clean treated water for non-potable uses such as agriculture.

Previously you could also find the BluElephant at DGTL in Amsterdam.