Pureit

Pureit is a water purifier made by Hindustan Unilever (HUL). It is sold in India. Pureit is the only consumer orientated water purifier in the world that removes harmful germs from water as per E.P.A. criteria without requiring electricity or pressurised tap water. It costs Rs. 1800 [Cost of Pureit http://www.pureitwater.com/about/affordable_price.asp] ($45~), which is about one fourth the price of most existing water purifiers in the Indian market. Existing purifiers are mostly based on ultraviolet technology and require both electricity and pressurised tap water to function.

How Pureit Works

The Pureit water purifier consists of four main consumable parts. These parts are: a 'microfibre mesh', a 'carbon trap', a 'processor' and a 'polisher'. The microfibre mesh is a sieve, which filters out visible dirt. The carbon trap removes parasites and pesticides. The processor is a tablet which contains a form of chlorine, which removes bacterial and viral content. The polisher improves taste and clarity of water, and also removes the residual form of chlorine from the water. HUL collectively calls these parts the germkill battery kit or the battery.

Pureit Form and Specifications

Pureit is a self-standing purifier. It needs to be placed on a shelf or counter. It has got a height of 61 cm, a width of 29 cm and a depth of 26 cm. It weighs 4.1 kg.

The germkill battery kit purifies 1,500 litres of water at 25° C in moderately humid conditions. It's expiry date is 2 years from manufacture. The Pureit purifier has two chambers: a top chamber and a bottom chamber. Both have a capacity of 9 litres. The top chamber holds the water that needs to be purified, and the bottom transparent chamber holds the purified water.

The product comes in two colours: burgundy and blue.

The battery has an end of life indicator.

The plastic parts and the germkill battery kit are made using food safe, non-toxic, engineering-grade material

Cost

One Pureit unit costs Rs. 1,800 [Cost of Pureit http://www.pureitwater.com/about/affordable_price.asp] ($45~).

One Germkill Battery Kit costs Rs. 300 [Cost of Pureit http://www.pureitwater.com/about/affordable_price.asp] ($7.5~).

History

Pureit was initially launched by HUL in the southern Indian city of Chennai in 2005. The brand was rolled out across India in phases, with full national presence having been established in the first half of 2008.

Business Model

Pureit was a new venture for Hindustan Unilever and required a rather different business model. This was because Pureit involved the manufacture and sale of consumer durables, when HUL is a fast moving consumer goods company.

The Pureit business model developed by the company was to sell a consumer durable (the filter itself), and then sell consumable component that a household replaces periodically over time. This involves selling the Pureit system and getting revenue out of the battery which needs to be replaced after some usage. In urban India, continuous pressurised tap water and twenty four hour electricity are extremely rare. In rural India it is nonexistent. The company's strategy of launching a water purifier that does not need electricity or pressurised tap water is targeted at reaching this large potential consumer base.

Claims

Pureit claims complete protection from water-borne diseases caused by germs. [100% protection from water borne diseases http://www.pureitwater.com/about/benefits_pureit.asp#Complete_Protection]

Pureit claims to be 'As Safe As Boiled Water'. This is also their tag line.

Pureit meets E.P.A. germ kill criteria. [Pureit meets E.P.A. germ kill criteria http://www.pureitwater.com/about/benefits_pureit.asp#Complete_Protection]

Institutions That Have Tested Pureit

Pureit has been tested by numerous institutions around the globe. [Pureit certification http://www.pureitwater.com/about/certification.asp]

Medical Institutions

SRL Ranbaxy Clinical Reference Laboratories, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Sundaram Medical Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

cientific Institutions

Indian Public Health Association, Kolkata.

Institute of Public Health Engineers, Kolkata.

National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata.

Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, Karnataka.

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

International Institutions

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.

Scottish Parasite Diagnostic Laboratory, Glasgow, UK.

Unilever Research and Development, Colworth, UK.

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