Cover / How we purify
Issue 14p. 12 · Inside
Follow a drop through the factory
Ten steps from 150 metres underground to a sealed sachet. Scroll down and the drop goes with you.
The journey
Ten steps to clean
The borehole
150 metres down, below the clay, into the sandstone aquifer under Independence Layout.
Tested weeklyAeration and sand filters
Air lifts out dissolved iron and gases; graded sand traps the grit.
Iron below 0.1 mg per litreActivated carbon
Carbon beds take out odours, tastes and any chlorine.
Changed every 6 monthsSoftening
Resin swaps out hardness so the water tastes clean and kettles stay clear.
Micron filters
Cartridges from 5 microns down to 1 micron catch the finest particles.
Changed every 2 weeksReverse osmosis
Water is pushed through membranes that let water through and hold back dissolved salts.
Ultraviolet light
UV lamps treat every litre as it flows past.
Lamp hours logged dailyOzone
A small dose of ozone keeps the water clean in the sachet or bottle.
The clean room
Filling and sealing in a closed room with hairnets, gloves and foot baths.
Hands-free fillersBatch testing
Every batch is sampled, labelled and logged before it leaves the factory.
Batch code on every bag
Testing
Tested every batch
Our lab tests samples from every batch for appearance, taste, pH, dissolved solids and microbes, and an independent lab tests a sample each month. Registration and test details are shown on the label. Example details for this demo.
| Test | Example result |
|---|---|
| pH | 7.1 |
| Dissolved solids | 38 mg/l |
| Iron | below 0.05 mg/l |
| Coliforms | none found |
The people
Who keeps it clean
Quality lead
Ngozi Okonkwo
A microbiologist who signs off every batch and runs our school visits.
Founder
Chukwuemeka Eze
Started with one sachet machine in 2014. Still tastes the first bag of the day.
Logistics
Obinna Nwankwo
Plans six vans across Enugu, and knows every pothole on Zik Avenue.
People are invented for this demo.
See it for yourself
Factory visits on the first Saturday of every month, for schools, shops and anyone curious.
Questions
About our water
Is it spring water?
It is deep borehole water, treated in ten steps. We named the factory after the springs near the hills where our founder grew up.
Why does my sachet taste different from another brand?
Treatment changes taste. Reverse osmosis and softening give a soft, clean taste.
Do you add minerals?
No. We take out what should not be there and leave the water clean.