NAGANO, JAPAN – 22 DECEMBER 2025 | Shinshu University, Community Jameel and Jameel Corporation have announced a new trial resulting in a breakthrough in water purification that could enhance access to safe drinking water to rural communities with no access to electricity.
The results were announced at a press conference held today at the Shinshu University campus in Nagano, Japan.
Nearly two billion people around the world lack stable access to safe water – a fundamental challenge that affects health, education, livelihoods and wellbeing. In many rural regions, water contamination and unreliable power have placed advanced purification technologies, like reverse osmosis (RO), out of reach.
To address this gap, researchers at Shinshu University’s Institute of Aqua Regeneration have developed a novel RO membrane technology that delivers both ultra-low pressure operation and high water permeability, enabling RO purification under conditions previously thought to be impossible.
The membrane has achieved NSF/ANSI 58 certification, the international standard for water purifiers.
Unlike conventional RO systems that rely on high pressure and power, this technology operates at less than half the pressure of standard systems and can be driven by a simple hand pump, making it uniquely suited for use where power is unavailable.
A six-month trial was held among rural communities in West Bengal and Rajasthan, India. This trial showed that the pump:
The results from this trial have been published in the journal Results in Engineering and reflect not only technical performance but real daily use by residents.
In both West Bengal and Rajasthan, well water is perceived as unsafe or unpalatable by families.
Community members who used the water pump reported positive feedback, with improvements to taste and appearance of the water and improved health conditions as a result.
This real-life feedback was incorporated into the study’s evaluation, highlighting the importance of community trials alongside laboratory performance.
The project was conducted with support from Community Jameel and Jameel Corporation, with cooperation from Indian non-profit organisations Seva Mandir (in Rajasthan) and the Rupantaran Foundation (in West Bengal).
The project was catalysed by Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel KBE, founder and chairman of Community Jameel, following his meeting with Professor Morinobu Edo at Shinshu University in 2023.
Mohammed Jameel KBE, founder and chairman of Community Jameel, said: “Access to clean water remains one of the most urgent challenges faced by populations across the world.
"We are pleased to support the team at Shinshu University with this pilot programme, which has the potential to enhance the accessibility of clean water for millions of people and improve health and quality of life within these communities.”
The team behind the pump is now exploring commercialisation and scaling of the RO membrane technology, with a focus on localising it to the communities in which it will be introduced.
Beyond rural households, the technology could support emergency water purification during disasters and contribute to sustainable water access in infrastructure-independent settings.
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