Looking deeper and wider to re-engineer scalable water self-sufficiency
Groundwater is one of our last lifelines for a water-secure Africa
Throughout history, our species’ ability to thrive has been directly linked to our capacity to maintain healthy water systems. Surface water makes up only 3% of the earth’s fresh water, the remaining 97% is groundwater locked underground in shallow and deep aquifers.
Today’s vital groundwater resources are often undervalued, overexploited, and mismanaged. In most cases, ground water is undervalued — or not valued at all. It is difficult to access, expensive to locate, rarely monitored and poorly, poorly managed. The challenge is clear: sustainable groundwater management is mission critical.
The Good News: If properly monitored and managed, groundwater is the (hidden) renewable wealth of all nations.
WATEX™: Smart solutions for a thirsty world
In Kenya’s Turkana region, where annual droughts and scorching heat once spelled desperation for thousands, a remarkable change is underway. In 2013, vast groundwater reserves half the size of Belgium were discovered, making headlines worldwide. RTI Exploration, an industry leader in groundwater exploration, played a pivotal role in this astonishing find.
Using its proprietary WATEX™ System, RTI located 5 giant aquifers that could potentially supply Kenya with water for 70 years. This discovery wasn’t just about finding water; it unearthed hope for a region long plagued by drought and food insecurity.
The WATEX™ remote sensing data and groundwater imagery solution, developed by RTI Exploration’s founder and “water wizard” Dr. Alain Gachet, highlights the best estimate of the potential presence of groundwater at country-scale. This system combines 12 continuous streams of datasets including remote sensing, geology and climate data. The results enable to infer the presence of groundwater at depths ranging from shallow (0 to 80m) to deep (80 to 8000m), facilitating the drilling of nearly 2,700 wells worldwide with a 98% success rate.
“The joy of seeing water gush out of the ground in the most arid places is incomparable. It’s like finding life where there was none.” — Dr. Alain Gachet via BBC
For over 25 years, this groundbreaking technology and RTI’s expertise in natural resources exploration (oil, gas and minerals) have been crucial in accessing underground water sources across Africa and the Middle East. In 2016, WATEX™ was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame of the Space Foundation for its ability “to have significantly improved the lives of millions of people around the world, using space technologies to find water with a truly unique approach.”
WATAI’s advanced groundwater insights, at your fingertips
Today, WATAI is building on proprietary WATEX™ intelligence and RTI Exploration’s pioneering developments. The vision is to build climate-resilient and regenerative water infrastructure by delivering metric-precision and actionable intelligence to water-conscious developers.
The WATAI mobile platform combines satellite imagery, climatic data, powerful remote sensing and machine learning algorithms, enabling clients to successfully:
- Access and protect the most climate-resilient groundwater resources to engineer in novel ways water self-sufficiency
- Engineer water self-sufficiency in novel ways — our raison d’être
WATAI capabilities
WATAI has recently launched the first mobile app for advanced groundwater insights and regenerative water planning in Kenya.
Here’s what users can expect:
- Reduce geophysical campaigns time by 70%
- Drastically reduce costs and turnaround time
- Insights available immediately and ready for project implementation
- Designed for both industrial and CSR project execution
- 98% drilling success rate based on 2,700+ wells
Our stakeholders also benefit from WATAI’s advanced groundwater insights tools:
- Landowners and project developers mitigate investment risks and diversify water sources
- NGOs and WASH non-profits more efficiently allocate resources to high-impact projects
- Land consultants, geophysicists, and hydrogeologists reduce surveying and reporting time
WATAI app is now available on Google Play Store
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the WATAI mobile app!
For users operating in Kenya, the app is available to download via the Google Play store.
For inquiries outside of Kenya, we invite you to book a quick demo with our founder.
We’re building on a path towards drought resilience
WATAI is not just finding water — we’re laying the groundwork for a water-secure future.
All these opportunities hinge on one critical aspect: comprehensive groundwater knowledge. Sustainable groundwater management does not mean digging wells arbitrarily. It requires a holistic approach that aligns with the ethos of sustainability and ecological balance.
That’s why WATAI is committed to accelerating the deployment of nature-based solutions and regenerative planning, wherever needed.
These solutions, emphasizing the use of natural systems, green infrastructures and managed ecosystems, ensure that groundwater exploitation doesn’t come at the cost of environmental degradation and groundwater debt leading to catastrophic subsidence and death of aquifers.
It’s a story of human ingenuity working in harmony with nature. Our journey over the last few decades reminds us that even in the driest places on Earth, there’s potential for plentitude through proper groundwater management.
Join us on the journey of building tomorrow, today.
Stay Connected
⚡ Sign up for WATAI updates
📲 Download the app (now launching in Kenya)
📲 Book a demo with our founder
👍 Follow WATAI on LinkedInIn
👍 Follow WATAI on Facebook
