Hippo Water Roller

The Hippo Water Roller is a barrel-shaped container designed to transport 90 liters (24 gallons) of water at one time. It alleviates the suffering caused by a lack of access to water by allowing water to be placed ‘inside the wheel,’ resulting in an effective weight of just 10 kg (22 pounds) on level ground. It was specifically designed for use in tough rural conditions, with a long lifespan of 5 – 7 years, often much longer. The Hippo Water Roller transforms water collection from a daily chore to a task performed only a few times a week.

Project Stage

Scaling

Implementation time

1-3 years

Last update: October 05, 2023

Overview Contributors

Challenge

In many developing regions, women and children spend a large portion of their day collecting water for their households. This process is often physically demanding and time-consuming, leaving little time for education, work, or leisure. The traditional methods of water collection are inefficient and labor-intensive, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and limiting opportunities for personal and economic growth.

Description

The Hippo Water Roller enables more water to be transported more efficiently than traditional methods. By fitting a filter onto the newly designed Utility Cap, clean potable water is achieved, and the cap ensures hygienic storage of clean water. The irrigation cap-in-cap enables drip irrigation, assisting small-scale farmers in irrigating their crops more efficiently. The Hippo Spaza, a specially designed steel frame attachment, converts the roller into a trolley for transporting products and a stand for displaying products for sale.

SDGs

Outcomes

The Hippo Water Roller has positively impacted the lives of 300,000 people across 20 countries by reducing the time and effort required to collect water, thus improving access to education and economic opportunities, especially for women and children.