Katadyn Drip

Target Countries

Mexico, Thailand

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$318.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, Community

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Katadyn sells directly to consumers and has also partnered with the Mexican government, World Hope, and the Rotary Foundation for distributions of its filters.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Berkey Ceramic Filters, Kohler Clarity Water Filter, and Tulip Table Top Filter.

Manufacturing/Building Method

Silicon, food-safe buckets can be bought from the manufacturer and produced in Switzerland or sourced locally for cheaper. Taps and maintenance kits can also be purchased separately from the manufacturer.

Intellectural Property Type

Trademarked

User Provision Model

Users can purchase the filter online from Katadyn, other online retailers, or from distributions by international relief organizations.

Distributions to Date Status

Katadyn filters are distributed to families participating in the Mexican government’s project “Sin Hambre,” which is run by the Ministry for Social Affairs. Since the project started, Katadyn has delivered over 60,000 filters to Mexico. Other distributions include the countries of Thailand, Bolivia, and Puerto Rico.

Design Specifications

The Katadyn Drip weighs 3.3 kg and is 45 by 25 cm. It is a gravity household water filter for 1 to 6 people, with 4 liters per hour filtration through three ceramic filter candles. It comes in two versions: the Ceradyn and the Gravidyn, where the Gravidyn contains an additional activated carbon element for chemicals and chlorine reduction. The filters are designed to be long-life, low-maintenance, and last 2 to 9 years.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

Technical support is provided in the instruction manual online.

Replacement Components

Filter candles need to be replaced after the end-of-life measuring gauge indicates that the filter is too small and water flow has diminished. Replacement Ceradyn and Gravidyn filter candles are available for purchase online.

Lifecycle

The Ceradyn filter cartridge capacity is 50,000 liters per filter, so for the Katadyn Drip, which contains three filter candles, the lifetime capacity is 150,000 liters. For a family consuming 15 L of drinking water per day the expected lifetime of the Ceradyn filters candles are 9 years with low turbidity or 2 years with high turbidity. The full Katadyn Drip system comes with a 2-year warranty.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The Ceradyn version eliminates bacteria, protozoa, cysts, algae, spores, sediments and viruses in combination with particles greater than 0.2 microns. The Gravidyn version also reduces chemicals.

Vetted Performance Status

A randomized controlled field trial found that Katadyn Drip ceramic filters were effective at improving the microbiological quality of drinking water in a low-income community in rural Bolivia in 2004. Independent labs Bachema and Spectrum also confirmed the bacteriological reduction of the Ceradyn and Gravidyn filters in a controlled setting.

Safety

To prevent contamination of the filtered water, the instruction manual recommends: letting filter elements dry completely in the air if the filter is not going to be used for longer than two days, cleaning the filter system (container and filter elements) at least once a month, keeping it out of direct sunlight,

Complementary Technical Systems

None

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

The Katadyn Drip filters meet the USEPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers for 6 log bacteria and 4 log cyst removal.

Evaluation methods

Laboratory water quality testing under batch conditions and field evaluations in Bolivia.

Other Information

No backflushing needed.