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 United States Environmental Protection Agency criteria without requiring electricity or pressurised tap water. It costs Rs. 2000 ($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.

Customer Complaints

The Hindustan Unilever (HUL). has a very bad track record of servicing. Most of the complaints are not solved even after many reminders. Most of the complaints are related to the replacement of the filter battery (germ-kill kit).

ABS Quality Plastic

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

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-contained water purifier. It has dimensions (H X W X D) of 61 X 29 X 26 cm, and 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 and comes with an end of life indicator.

The plastic parts and the Germkill battery kit are made using food safe, non-toxic, engineering-grade materials.

Costs

The Pureit unit is priced at approx. INR 2,000 ($45~).

The Germkill battery Kit costs INR 350 ($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.

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

Pureit meets E.P.A. germ kill criteria.

Institutions that have tested Pureit

Pureit has been tested by numerous institutions around the globe.

Medical institutions

SRL Ranbaxy Clinical Reference Laboratories, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Sundaram Medical Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Scientific 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.