The Crisis That Connects Us All
Sanitation doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s the unseen backbone of human dignity—protecting communities, enabling health, and shaping the environments we live in. Yet, 3.5 billion people still lack access to safely managed sanitation, and 2.2 billion people lack access to safe water.
This isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about interconnected systems of survival. When sanitation systems break down, water becomes contaminated. When water rises, sanitation becomes at risk, as rising seas and flooding can inundate toilets, sewers, and treatment plants, spilling waste into land and water. It’s a cycle that traps communities in poverty, disease, and desperation.
Glacier Preservation: 2025 World Water Day
This year’s theme of 2025 World Water Day, ‘Glacier Preservation‘, reminds us that water security reaches from the world’s highest peaks to our most intimate daily moments. While melting glaciers represent a global crisis unfolding in slow motion, the immediate water and sanitation challenges demand urgent, local action.
That’s where entrepreneurs step in— with practical, innovative solutions.
Meet four changemakers from our 2025 Cohort who are proving that the water-sanitation nexus isn’t just a challenge—it’s an innovation opportunity. These businesses range across the Sanitation Economy, from circular to smart.
Ilonnati – India
In cities across India, large water pipelines lose thousands of litres a day—not due to scarcity, but from leaks, theft, and undetected system failures.
That’s where Ilonnati, based in Hyderabad, steps in.
Ilonnati Innovations offers an AI-powered Smart Water Management System designed for large pipeline networks across sectors—from utilities to residential and industrial spaces.
Unlike conventional systems, Ilonnati’s solar-enabled IoT solution takes real-time action. Its standout feature—an AI-enabled Valve Actuator—automatically detects and responds to leaks, theft, bursts, or contamination, controlling flow and preventing system failures.
Built for areas with limited connectivity, the system uses GSM M2M communication and includes water quality sensors that trigger instant shutdowns when contamination is detected. A unified web platform provides analytics, predictive maintenance tools, and transparent dashboards for all stakeholders.
Designed for scale, built for impact—Ilonnati’s solution redefines how large pipeline systems are monitored, controlled, and sustained.
Q: What kind of change have you seen since its inception?
“Our Solution has enabled Remote Monitoring and Real Time data updates from the Water Distribution Networks of the villages in Rajasthan, Haryana and Manipur states during the COVID period.
Our Smart Valve Solution has enabled the operator to manage the valve’s operation seamlessly without moving on the roads, without facing any traffic hurdles (as the Valves are placed in the middle of the roads in Hyderabad City), and without exposing to the extreme weather conditions. Also, the Quantity and the Quality of the water supplied through these Smart Valves was updated Real Time through our Dashboard.
Since Inception, we have seen a paradigm shift in management of the distribution networks, especially the scenarios that have transformed from the Reactive response to Proactive response. “
— Dr. Mahender Kondapalkala, Ilonnati Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
Pluvia – Guatemala
In rural Guatemala, water scarcity is often seen as a problem. But for Pluvia, each drop is an opportunity.
Pluvia based in Guatemala, Latin America is promoting a solution to the water crisis that is both obvious and underestimated: rainwater harvesting. Through safe and efficient systems, Pluvia enables communities to store water throughout the year, even in drought conditions or with limited infrastructure.
Its impact goes beyond access: it seeks to transform people’s relationship with rain, promoting a culture of use and respect for the resource.
So far, Pluvia has helped 15 communities and over 580 families harvest more than 4 million litres of rainwater every year— strengthening local resilience, reducing external dependence and feeding into the Circular Sanitation Marketplace, where every drop is recovered, reused and valued.
Q: How does your solution impact water in your community?
“Pluvia positively transforms the quality of life in rural communities by ensuring continuous access to water, especially in areas affected by drought or lacking infrastructure.
Its technology provides families with a vital resource for human consumption, hygiene, and agriculture, reducing their vulnerability and dependence on external sources.
Furthermore, by promoting rainwater harvesting, Pluvia fosters a culture of sustainability and self-sufficiency, strengthening local resilience and empowering people to be an active part of the solution.”
— Jose Ramirez, Pluvia
SUDrain – Cambodia
SUDrain began with the vision of an environmental engineer who, while working in Cambodia’s floating communities, saw families relying on polluted river water and practicing open defecation. This urgent reality sparked her drive to create sustainable and inclusive wastewater solutions.
Through research, she discovered that coconut fiber, a local and affordable material, could be used to treat wastewater naturally without electricity or chemicals. What started as a lab experiment became SUDrain’s mission: to deliver eco-friendly, low-cost sanitation to underserved communities.
Today, SUDrain transforms coconut waste into natural biofilm filters for decentralised wastewater treatment. Their systems are ideal for rural households, floating schools, eco-resorts, farms, and industries, protecting both public health and the environment.
They offer a full range of services, including design, installation, and water quality monitoring, customised to meet local needs. Working with NGOs, developers, and governments, we bring clean water solutions closer to those who need them most.
As part of the Circular Sanitation Marketplace, SUDrain proudly supports SDGs 3, 6, 11, 13, and 14. From coconut waste to clean water, they’re creating a future where sanitation is sustainable, inclusive, and accessible for all.
Q: How does your solution impact water in your community?
“By transforming wastewater sustainably, we empower communities to protect their environment while promoting clean water, greener, and resilient ecosystems.“
— Thary Vorn, SUDrain
Yakufil – Peru
Founded in Peru, Yakufil specialises in developing sustainable technologies for the management and treatment of wastewater and solid waste, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. It offers a biowall system that recycles greywater, purifies it, and enhances the aesthetic of sustainable buildings.
Their work contributes directly to the Circular Sanitation Marketplace by promoting environmentally responsible, adaptable waste treatment solutions that combine functionality with design—making sanitation both sustainable and visible.
Q: How is your technology helping communities manage water more sustainably?
“Yakufil’s technology enables communities to manage water more sustainably by integrating wastewater treatment and reuse systems into vertical gardens. These green walls treat greywater from showers, sinks, or laundry and make it available for non-potable uses such as irrigation, cleaning, or toilet flushing—reducing pressure on freshwater sources. Designed to fit in small spaces like homes, schools, or camps, even in vulnerable areas, the system promotes the circular water economy while improving sanitation and hygiene. Its visible, nature-based design also raises environmental awareness and fosters community participation, contributing to climate resilience and more sustainable water practices.“
— Jenyfer Pineda, Yakufil
These entrepreneurs understand that water and sanitation aren’t separate challenges—they’re interconnected systems that succeed or fail together. Demand for water is rising owing to rapid population growth, urbanisation and increasing water needs from agriculture, industry, and energy sectors, while inadequate sanitation continues to contaminate the very water sources communities depend on.
These entrepreneurs prove that solutions don’t always require massive capital—it requires understanding local needs and designing integrated solutions.
As we approach the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals, these SMEs represent more than individual success stories. They embody a fundamental shift in how we approach SDG 6—not in isolation, but with integrated solutions. And with World Toilet Day just a couple of months away, it’s a timely reminder of the urgency and innovation needed to solve this global crisis.
Their work showcases the importance of innovation to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.
The entrepreneurs featured here are part of the Toilet Board Coalition’s Accelerator, committed to making an impact on SDG 6. Learn more about how you can engage here: https://www.toiletboard.org/engage/
Author: Bishakha Das, Communications Manager
Email: das@toiletboard.org
