YakuPura Carbon Filter

Product Description

YakuPura is an activated carbon-based filter that can adjust to any size water tap for immediate and safe consumption. The product was designed by Ecuadorians Carolina Placencia, Jocelyn Valencia and Daniel Mendoza in 2017 after observing that municipal tap water came with excess chlorine and possibly had other impurities that were causing skin rashes. The product was supported by the SYNESCYT Ecuador Superior education secretary Idea Bank contest.

This product is designed to improve the quality of municipal water, to increase the use of the national products (vs imported products), and to decrease plastic wastes produced by the need for plastic bottled water.

The Yakupura name comes from the ancient Ecuadorian languages of Kichwa, with “yaku” meaning ‘water’, mixed with the Spanish word “pura” meaning ‘pure’.

Target SDGs

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Market Suggested Retail Price

$10.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

YakuPura and soon, through TVENTAS

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Aqusafe Filters and Tapp™ Filter.

Manufacturing/Building Method

The filters are 100% designed and manufactured in Ecuador from locally-sourced materials (except the activated carbon purifying agent, which is imported from United States). Production capacity is 5000 filters per month. Interview with representative.

Intellectural Property Type

Patent

User Provision Model

Purchase of this product can be done following instructions online at YakuPura.com. International delivery is carried out with DHL. Filters will also be available through TVENTAS, an Equatorian national televisión sales distribution network. Interview with representative

Distributions to Date Status

This product was officially launched to the market as of August 2019. Interview with representative

Type of filter

Activated carbon filter

Primary material of construction

Filters are made from food-grade plastic which does not give off toxins and from activated carbon from plants.

Additives

None

Manufacturer-specified flow rate (L/hr)

Depends on municipal tap flow rate

Bacteria reduction

Activated carbon does not remove bacteria. ^{Interview with representative}

Virus reduction

Activated carbon is not known to remove viruses.

Protozoa reduction

Activated carbon is not known to remove protozoa

Heavy metals and/or arsenic reduction

Reduces lead in tap water

Maximum recommended influent turbidity level (NTU)

This filter is tested under 0 FTU

Effluent turbidity levels (NTU)

9.91 FTU

Maintenance schedule

No maintenance required. ^{Interview with representative.}

Manufacturer-specified lifetime volume (L)

5,000 L per month

Safe water storage integration

None

Design Specifications

YakuPura is a small oval-shaped filter. The exterior case is made from a food grade plastic (which does not release any toxins) and the interior has a space for a food grade plastic rubber which can attach to any tap with pressure, hermetically sealing the upper part of the filter to the tap. The tap is then opened and filtered water comes out at the bottom. The activated carbon inside, made from carbonized coconut peelings (submitted to high pressures and temperature which gives it the property of impurity adsorption) is what filters water from impurities such as chlorine. This material is capable of removing heavy metals detached from old water pipelines. The tap should be left open at low to medium pressure for 5-10 seconds before using the water. The filter weights 48 g and measures 55 mm x 52 mm.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

There is no technical support provided.

Replacement Components

There are no replacement components. Yukupura filters are returnable after 3-6 months of use.

Lifecycle

Filters have a 3-6 months expected lifetime. After this time filters are returnable to Yakupura to make new filters. Users are asked to register their filter to get notifications.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

YakuPura filters were made to improve the quality of municipal tap water. This involves improving taste, smell, increasing water pH, filtering out excess chlorine and impurities, and potentially removing heavy metals detached from old water pipelines. The product was also designed to help reduce plastic residue waste by replacing the use of 500 half-liter plastic bottles with each YakuPura filter. Designer specified performance targets include: simple, rapid and economical.

Vetted Performance Status

Testing by LASA Laboratorio Analítico Ambiental determined a reduction of residual chlorine, conductivity, lead, trihalomethanes and organochlorine compounds (plaguicide residues), and an increase of pH in water after passing through the Yakupura filter.

Safety

Filters are made from food grade plastic and rubber which do not give off toxins and activated carbon from vegetal origin. No known safety hazards are related to the use of this product with tap water. This filter should not be used for purifying residual, industrial or black waters. (See Spanish product's data sheet here.)

Complementary Technical Systems

None

Academic Research and References

Yakupura, Yakupura. Available at: https://www.yakupura.com/

Tventas.com – Servicio a Domicilio en Ecuador – TVentas – Compras Online en Ecuador Tventas.com. Available at: https://www.tventas.com/

ND (no date) Productos – Yakupura, Yakupura. Available at: https://www.yakupura.com/productos

Laboratorio Lasa – Acreditado desde 1993. (n.d.). Laboratoriolasa.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://laboratoriolasa.com/

Bosmediano, J. and Teléfono, P. Ficha Técnica del Producto Nombre de la Empresa YAKUPURA-EC, Engineeringforchange.org. Available at: https://www.engineeringforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Ficha-te%CC%81cnica-del-producto-YakuPura.pdf

Yakupura, Yakupura. Available at: https://www.yakupura.com/

Tventas.com – Servicio a Domicilio en Ecuador – TVentas – Compras Online en Ecuador Tventas.com. Available at: https://www.tventas.com/

ND (no date) Productos – Yakupura, Yakupura. Available at: https://www.yakupura.com/productos

Laboratorio Lasa – Acreditado desde 1993. (n.d.). Laboratoriolasa.com. Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://laboratoriolasa.com/

Compliance with regulations

The YakuPura filter is in compliance with Equatorial national normativity INEN 1108- 2014 on consumption of potable water. Interview with representative

Evaluation methods

Tap water before and after passing through the YakuPura filter was tested for residual chlorine, color, conductivity, smell, taste, turbidity, pH, lead, trihalomethanes and organochlorine compounds (plaguicide residues) by a third-party laboratory.

Other Information

It was one of the 10 entrepreneurships selected to participate in the H2O Challenge in 2018 in the water sector. This help this product become know at the regional level and further develop.