Photo courtesy Erika Rolling

By Erika Rolling

Grande Prairie Innovator

Grande Prairie man’s solar-powered, touchless sanitation stations making a ‘splash’

May 19, 2022 | 6:00 AM

After fueling up his welding rig and not being able to wash his hands once done at the pumps, a Grande Prairie man decided to come up with a solution.

Nipiy Industries, an Indigenous-owned company, was founded in 2019 and the first solar power hand wash unit prototype was built in Jason Lizotte’s garage.

The handwash stations are solar-powered with 114L fresh water and 228L grey water tanks, touchless water faucets and soap dispensers, a water pump, and five-gallon garbage disposal. They are all made with steel frames with polyethylene sides and backs.

Lizotte, the CEO and Founder of Nipiy Industries, says since the first prototype, it has evolved into four models. There are construction, stand-alone, adult-children combo and children double sink models that are now being manufactured at Red Deer Polytechnic.

“It’s been re-engineered thanks to sponsorship through GPRIN and gaining a lot of traction.”

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“Our plan is to come out with newer, lighter models that are more user-friendly, bigger tanks, easier to move around. Our goal is to eventually have them injection molded so they can be mass-produced and hit the U.S. market.”

Some of Nipiy’s accomplishments include; “2021 Semi-finalist Pow-Wow Pitch, winner of Shell Livewire Canada 2021 Pitch Contest, finalist of CCAB & EY Pitch Competition. Best Scale-Up Business Pitch Award at the ELEVATE Pitch Competition and Top 18 on Bear’s Lair airing in September on ATPN.” he says.

Lizotte has finally been able to showcase his invention with trade shows coming back after pandemic restrictions.

“The response has been overwhelming. It’s a one-of-a-kind product with a patent in Canada and the U.S. and nobody has ever seen it before.”

“People are starting to see it, appreciate the touchless, fully-automated part and it has been growing, especially with the contests I’ve been winning and the eyes it’s been in front of.”

You can discover more about Nipiy Industries on Facebook, Instagram and their website.