Paris. 14 June 2024. At a time when over 2 billion people around the world have no access to drinking water, father and son Paul and Auguste Minot designed and built FiltraLife. This machine is capable of filtering all types of water to make it drinkable, thanks to its totally mechanical operation, without the use of chemicals or electricity. As such, they have just been awarded a gold medal at the Lépine 2024 competition on May 10. Capable of filtering more than 1,000 liters of water in an hour, FiltraLife is particularly recommended for tactical travel, base and camp construction, or medical rescue.

Intuitive operation without energy expenditure

While FiltraLife is not the first machine designed to purify drinking water, its patented operation is totally innovative, requiring no chemicals or electricity, and using only a mechanical system coupled with several high-tech filters. Simply fill the tank and activate the lever to filter all water types (except seawater, treating bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides to provide instant drinking water). FiltraLife can adapt to the most extreme climatic conditions and is part of a sustainable development approach: its “impact program calculator” enables stakeholders to measure and prove their impact on the social, environmental and health pillars, it uses only biodegradable materials, produces no waste, and enters an eco-recycling cycle when it reaches the end of its life.

Drinking water from the Marne with FiltraLife

Proof of FiltraLife’s effectiveness: tests carried out at the instigation of Mr Vigier, former Minister for Overseas France, using water from the Marne, one of the most polluted rivers in France and recognized as the most contaminating tributary of the Seine, his aim being to use FiltraLife in the French overseas departments and territories. Analyses by the Ianesco laboratory, accredited by the French Ministry of Health, show that once filtered by FiltraLife, the water from the Marne is safe to drink!

Multiple applications

On the market since September 2023, FiltraLife is primarily aimed at governments and NGOs to give as many people as possible access to drinking water. For example, the start-up is currently working with MSF and Unicef on a project in Colombia.

And there’s no shortage of ideas for new applications:

  •  Preventing temporary pollution of drinking water systems, as some French islands have experienced in recent months
  •  Use by village schools, farms, hospitals and armies
  •  Development of solutions for private users in the coming months

Ambitious goals

In 2024, Paul and Auguste Minot aim to sell 1,000 machines in one year to NGOs, governments, companies, foundations, schools and many others, which could give around 200,000 people access to drinking water.

Caractéristiques techniques de FiltraLife

Sanitizes all surface water (river, lake, stream, well, pond, river…), eliminating over 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, nitrites, heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides, as certified by Ianesco, a laboratory accredited by the French Ministry of Health.

  • 100% mechanical – uses no chemicals
  • 100% autonomous, no electrical power required
  • Zero electronics
  • Filter 1m3/hour = 1000 L
  • Totally mobile – total weight 70 kg
  • Patented
  • 5-year warranty
    – 6 900 € EXCL.