Modular by design
Each stage is a separate module. Swap, upgrade, or repair a single part without replacing the whole system.
Modular · Mostly 3D printed · Open to make
Clean water you can print.
Aquafab is a modular water filtration system designed for schools and communities in Ghana. It screws onto everyday PET bottles and turns digital design and 3D printing into a practical tool for clean water, education, and local problem-solving.
- 3filtration stages
- 1.5–3 Lfits common PET bottles
- ~90%printable parts
The staged design
Three stages, one printed body
Water moves through Aquafab in sequence — each stage housed in a 3D printed body that connects to a standard 1.5–3 litre PET bottle.
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01
Hollow fiber membrane
Primary filtration. A hollow fiber membrane physically blocks sediment, dirt, and microorganisms as water is pushed through.
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02
Carbon pellet stage
Activated carbon pellets improve taste, clarity, and overall water quality by capturing chemicals and odors the membrane leaves behind.
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03
UV disinfection planned
A planned final stage, housed in the 3D printed body, uses UV light to disinfect the water and neutralize remaining pathogens.
Why Aquafab
Built to be made, maintained, and remade
Fits what people have
Connects to common 1.5–3 litre PET bottles, so there's no exotic hardware to source.
Mostly 3D printed
The body is printable on accessible desktop printers, so parts can be made and replaced locally.
A learning platform
Students learn to print, maintain, and customize a real product — not just a classroom demo.
Easy to maintain
Simple, serviceable stages mean upkeep can happen on-site without specialist tools.
Local problem-solving
A platform for communities to adapt the design to their own needs and conditions.
The mission
Clean water and confident makers in Ghana
Aquafab is designed for schools and communities in Ghana, where access to clean water and access to opportunity go hand in hand. By pairing a working filter with the skills to make it, the project treats every installation as a lesson.
Our goal isn't only to create a filter — it's to help students learn how to print, maintain, customize, and eventually design their own useful products. Clean water is the start; capability is the outcome.
Support the mission- 🏫
Schools first
Designed to live in classrooms as both a utility and a teaching tool.
- 💧
Access to clean water
Practical filtration built from parts that can be made and maintained locally.
- 🚀
Skills that stay
Digital design and 3D printing skills that outlast any single product.
The maker spirit
From digital design to a tool in your hands
Aquafab captures the maker spirit — it turns a file on a screen into something that changes a real day. Here's the path students follow.
- Print
Turn the open design into physical parts on an accessible 3D printer.
- Assemble
Snap the modular stages together and connect to a PET bottle.
- Maintain
Service each stage, swap membranes and carbon, keep it running.
- Customize
Adapt the body and stages to local bottles, needs, and conditions.
- Design
Move from making our product to designing useful products of your own.
Help print a cleaner future
Whether you're an educator, maker, funder, or partner in Ghana, there's a place for you in Aquafab. Reach out to bring the project to a school or community near you.