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A woman fills a metal water pot at a Villagepump in Bangladesh while a row of buckets waits in line

Community water purification

Safe drinking water for every village — no grid required

The Villagepump 500 turns water from ponds, rivers, wells and rainwater tanks into clean, safe drinking water. Up to 500 litres per hour, self-cleaning, and ready to run 20 minutes after it arrives.

Explore the Villagepump 500 Request a quote
  • 2M+ people supplied with safe drinking water
  • 500 L purified water per hour, per unit
  • 1,000 people served per unit in emergency relief
  • 50M plastic bottles kept out of nature
A young girl carries a heavy water container on her head along a rural path

The challenge

Unsafe water is still one of the world’s biggest killers

Remote and rural communities often rely on surface water that looks clean but carries bacteria, viruses and parasites. Cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and hepatitis follow. Large treatment plants are expensive and complex, and bottled water creates mountains of plastic waste.

  • No access to a central water network
  • Contaminated ponds, rivers and shallow wells
  • Bottled water is costly and pollutes
Villagepump 500 water purifier, a tall cream-coloured column with a stainless steel tap

The solution

Villagepump 500: a complete water plant in one compact column

Multi-stage ultrafiltration removes the pathogens behind waterborne disease, while a patented valve system backwashes the membrane automatically so it keeps working for years. Operate it by hand, from the grid or with solar power.

  • Removes pathogens

    >99.9999% of bacteria and cysts, >99.99% of viruses.

  • Cleans itself

    Automatic high-pressure backwash protects the membrane.

  • Fully off-grid

    Hand-powered, solar-powered or grid-connected.

  • Plug & play

    No special skills: running within 20 minutes.

View full specifications Download data sheet

How it works

From raw surface water to safe drinking water in four steps

Animated diagram: how the Villagepump purifies water Raw water containing sand, leaves, bacteria and viruses is drawn from a pond through a hose. The 0.05 mm mesh filter stops sand and leaves. The ultrafiltration membrane stops bacteria, cysts and viruses, so only clean water reaches the tap. An automatic backwash then flushes the captured dirt out through the drain. Raw water Inlet hose · up to 10 m VILLAGEPUMP 500 Mesh 0.05 mm UF membrane Safe water Backwash Drain 1 2 3 4
  • Sand & leaves
  • Bacteria & cysts
  • Viruses
  • Clean water

1 · Draw Water is drawn from a pond, river, well or tank — up to 10 m away and 3 m below the unit.

  1. Draw

    Water is drawn from a pond, river, well or tank — up to 10 m away and 3 m below the unit.

  2. Pre-filter

    A 0.05 mm mesh filter removes sand, leaves and suspended particles.

  3. Purify

    Capillary ultrafiltration membranes block bacteria, viruses, protozoa and cysts.

  4. Self-clean

    An automatic high-pressure backwash flushes the membrane — no manual cleaning.

Optional activated-carbon stage improves taste and colour and reduces pesticides and other chemical residues.

Three configurations

One purifier, powered the way your site needs

Manual

Hand-pump operation. No electricity, no fuel — ideal for the most remote locations.

8 L/min · 0 W Learn more

Electric grid

Submersible feed pump, 230 V/50 Hz or 110 V/60 Hz. Drinking water at the push of a button.

up to 500 L/h · 500–750 W Learn more

Solar 24 V

Runs on 400–500 Wp of solar panels for 6–7 hours a day, with zero running costs.

400+ L/h · 200–250 W Learn more

Applications

Built for the places that need it most

  • Schools & education centres

    Children drink safely all day; schools can fund maintenance by selling surplus water.

  • Health care centres

    Reliable pathogen-free water for patients, staff and hygiene.

  • Refugee camps & disaster relief

    Plug-and-play in hours; supplies up to 1,000 people in emergencies.

  • Water kiosks & water ATMs

    A sustainable local business model with metered, paid dispensing.

  • Rainwater harvesting

    Turns collected rain and mountain water into safe drinking water.

  • Villages & city quarters

    Around 2,000 litres a day — enough for a small community.

Field projects

Proven in the toughest environments on four continents

From the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar to schools in Kenya and fishing villages on the Niger river, Villagepump works with local partners who install, maintain and support every unit.

  • Children at a solar-powered Villagepump in Bangladesh pressing the start button
    Bangladesh

    First solar-powered units

    4,000 people near Cox’s Bazar gained access to safe water, in partnership with BRAC.

  • Raised platform with blue rainwater tanks and a Villagepump in Malaysia
    Malaysia

    Purified harvested rainwater

    Our partner Weida combines large rainwater tanks with Villagepumps for remote villages in Sarawak.

  • A man fills a blue bucket at a Villagepump installed on a concrete base in Colombia
    Colombia

    Rural community supply

    Installed and supported by our Colombian partner Colenergy.

  • Villagepump installation in a village in India
    India

    CSR-funded village water

    Savargaon, Maharashtra: funded through PubMatic India’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Installed in, among others:
  • Bangladesh
  • Kenya
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Mali
  • Nepal
  • Yemen
  • Colombia
  • Mexico
  • Peru
  • Nigeria
  • Angola
  • Philippines
  • Vanuatu
A glass being filled with clear water from the stainless steel tap of a Villagepump

The Villagepumps are easy to operate. They purify our well water and the children use the purified water. Maintenance is also easy as the nuts and parts are available.

Rev. John Stish GeorgeDirector, Elisabeth Orphanage — Chhattisgarh, India

Dutch engineering

Designed for heat, humidity and long working days

Every Villagepump is designed, engineered and manufactured in the Netherlands. Materials are selected for wear resistance and durability, giving an expected service life of at least five years in the toughest conditions.

Planning a drinking water project?

Tell us about your community, water source and power situation. We’ll recommend the right configuration and connect you with our local partner.

Request a quote

We usually reply within two working days.