Company history
2005
Renaud de Watteville and Jean-Francois Treyvaud are developing a first prototype of an affordable and decentralized water treatment solution.
2008 - 2011
Creation of Swiss Fresh Water SA. Entry of the first investors. Collaboration with the mechanical workshop “Hentsch and Bovey” on machine development.
2011
The first two pilot machines are installed in Senegal. The project gets off the ground and triggers the development of an adapted business model that reconciles economic profitability, improved health and well-being of local populations, transfer of know-how and job creation.
Production of the first 20 machines (model Delta 2).
2012-2018
Deployment of the first 20 machines in Senegal from 2012.
Development of 3 new generations of machines (model Delta 4, 5 and 6).
The Access to Water Foundation is created and the two entities Access to Water and Swiss Fresh Water jointly ensure the deployment of water kiosks in Senegal, with a significant impact :
- 30 million litres of drinking water sold in 2018, to tens of thousands of people every day, and creating many jobs to operate the kiosks: managers, hydrant men, hygiene service, administration, maintenance, sales, deliveries and other indirect jobs.
- Significant improvement in the general level of health of the populations with access to drinking water. Reduction of diseases related to the consumption of brackish, polluted or infected water, such as diarrhoea, one of the main causes of infant mortality. Reduction of absenteeism at work.
- Local elimination of energy-intensive water transport. Limitation of plastic waste by reusable water containers instead of disposable bottles. Use of solar energy to power the machines.
Two test machines in Pakistan in 2018.
2019
Renaud de Watteville is leaving Swiss Fresh Water to focus on his duties as President of the Access to Water Foundation. The Senegal water kiosks project is now managed exclusively by Swiss Fresh Water, while Access to Water develops new projects.
A new CEO (Thomas Gajan) is appointed at Swiss Fresh Water.
West Africa Water, a subsidiary of Swiss Fresh Water, is created in Senegal to accelerate the deployment of franchised water kiosks in urban and peri-urban areas, based on a viable and proven business model.
For the kiosks located in rural areas that require it, West Africa Water also offers subsidies to foundations, NGOs, international organizations and private companies as part of their Social and Environmental Responsibility actions.
Development of several pilot projects in new markets.
During the year 2019, more than 36 million litres of drinking water were produced and sold by the 140 franchised kiosks in Senegal.
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