

Solar-Powered Water ATMs Provide Clean Drinking Water To The Thirsty - Garbage
http://www.fastcompany.com/1782224/solar-powered-water-atms-provide-clean-drinking-water-to-the-thirst

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eplanit
Small semantic note: isn't this really a type of "vending machine", rather
than an "automated teller"? Seems it's really a drink dispenser, and not a
money dispenser. The idea just doesn't seem very revolutionary, and is maybe
reaching for a "high-tech" metaphor to gain some tech-cred.

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pointyhat
This is such a bad idea.

a) $3 per month for a family in India is quite expensive.

b) It adds artificial scarcity and dependency on the "water dealers".

Sounds like Rango to me.

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Game_Ender
No one is forcing anyone to use this water. The villagers can either use the
cleaner water, something which they had no way to get before, or continue to
get water their old way. How is it a bad thing to provide a better product to
someone for a price?

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pointyhat
It's not a "product". It's a survival essential. Everyone should be entitled
to clean water, not at a price.

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simon_weber
Sure, everyone needs water. But, "there's no such thing as a free lunch", and
this seems to be a reasonable way to get water to people who need it right
now.

update, when I had a chance to look at some data: As for affordability, it
seems 5% of monthly income is typically used as the threshold [1]. This would
mean that someone would have to earn $2 dollars per day to have affordable
water through this solution. You're right: for many below the poverty line in
India, this does not meet the affordability standard [2].

However, I would argue that any way of increasing access is an improvement,
simply judging by how available water currently is [3]. As was said earlier,
you're not making people any poorer by giving them another option to attain
water.

[1][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_India#Tariffs.2C_cost_recovery_and_subsidies)
[2]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India>
[3][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_India#Water_supply)

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pointyhat
But when you make the most profitable way the preferred way, you shift the
power from the people to a controlling party, at which point, the price goes
up to suit the "investors".

It's an unfortunate part of human nature.

