Gjosa, saving water one shower at a time

A Swiss startup has developed a new technology capable of reducing both water and energy consumption.

In most developed countries, people take access to water for granted.

But in some parts of the world, getting clean and drinkable water is a constant fight. According to the WWF, “some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year”. Moreover, the consumption of water is growing twice as fast as world population, which means the situation is likely to get worse in upcoming years. “By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages” adds the WWF. While some populations deal with water stress more severely than others, the situation affects all countries.

This means we need to take care of our water sources now. And showers and hygiene is a good place to start.

A Swiss innovative company has decided to tackle this issue by inventing a technology that drastically reduces the consumption of water in our everyday routines. Inspired by geysers (“gjosa” is the Icelandic word for “eruption”), the technology is an innovative shower-hand which releases small droplets at high velocity, resulting in a homogenous and comfortable water stream. It creates a pleasant new experience while dramatically reducing the water usage.

Gjosa has already started testing its technology in hotels, where water savings are up to 79%: a standard shower uses 12 liters per minute, when Gjosa only uses 2.5 liters. The water savings are impressive, but the innovative Swiss company also has an impact on hotels’ bottom line. A European hotel of 150 rooms with a 70% occupancy rate can cut its energy and water costs by approximately €25’000.

At the end of 2018, the Swiss company also announced an exclusive partnership with beauty giant L’Oréal. The Swiss company developed an « in-flow » technology that moxes harmoniously the shampoo with water in the shower head, which reduces water needed to wash the hair from 8 litres to 1.5 litres. For now, Gjosa has carried out UX tests in South Africa and is currently completing customer tests in USA.

“Initial results offer great perspectives for an innovation that visibly reduces the water consumption in our daily hygiene practices. This breakthrough technology is perfectly in line with our commitments to sustainable innovation” said Laurent Attal, L’Oréal VP Research & Innovation in the initial press release.

Gjosa’s solution has been awarded the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label due its clear economic and environmental benefits, transforming the environmental challenge paradigm to a win (for the planet)-win (for the user)- win (for the customer) situation.