The first Warka Water pilot prototype was installed and inaugurated in the Dorze Village in Southern Ethiopia on the 26th of May. The Ambassador of Italy, H.E Giuseppe Mistretta, presided over the opening ceremony, accompanied by Mrs. Alessandra Testoni, Humanitarian Program Coordinator of the Italian Cooperation Office (IDC) who has granted in part the financial support for the current experimental phase of the project.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by a very large group of women, men and children from Dorze who hosted the “historical“ event with local dances and chants.

The success of the current phase of the project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of private companies and institutions who continue to firmly believe in the Warka Water cause.

WW is 31 ft (9.5 m) tall that weights only about 176 pounds (80 kg). It consists of 5 modules that are easy to assemble, from top to bottom, by the collaboration of 12 people in less than an hour. The elegant triangulated frame structure, made with local bamboo split elements, is optimized for lightness and strength and offers both stability and robustness. This frame structure is deployable to make easier the transport and the joints are then fixed with hemp ropes. On the ground there are 8 fixation points placed radially around the WW base from where a network of ropes, with different thickness, are attached to allow the tower more stability and to withstand strong winds. These ropes are custom made locally with natural fibers from Banana tree leaves by the inhabitants of the community. Inside the bamboo structure hangs the plastic Mesh that collects droplets of water from the high humidity in the air (Fog) and the Collector for dew condensation and rainwater collection. A textile canopy all around creates a shaded area for social and educational activities and, at the same time, keeps the water of the water tank cool and the ground’s evaporation low.