Water purification in rural communities

according to the World Health Organization (WHO) more than 700 million people worldwide have lack of access to permanent sources of potable water

Photos: Fundamor

Photos: Fundamor

Mostly these people live in poor urban areas and fields, in developing countries and

consuming untreated water

Photos: Fundamor

They take water from the rivers, lakes or rain and keep it in inadequate storage and drink it

without treatment

Photos: Fundamor

Rain water harvesting and inadequate storage

unsafe water causes the death of 2.5 million people worldwide

each year

90 % of these deaths hit vulnerable population such as

children and old people

95 % these deaths occur in poor communities

99 % of these deaths can be avoided

Photos: Ensil Gómez / Fundamor / South Asia Pure Water Initiative Inc.

Biosand filter

The Biosand filter was developed in Calgary Univertity (Canada) in

90’s and had supplied clean water to millons of people

Biosand filter

advantages

economic

98 % sucessfull

Low maintenan

ce

resistant and

durable

filtered solids

biosand filter

removes pathogens and

turbidity

Photo: Dr. Tommy Ngai (Cawst)Ganesh Harijan, Nepal

Limitations

Although it has a low price many people can not buy it (about U.S. $ 60.00)

Should work three weeks before it is fully effective

The filter not remove dissolved compounds (salts, fluoride, arsenic)

Design and Accessories

tight lid (wood, plastic, etc.)

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

perforated diffuser plate

pipe for potable water outletSchmutzdecke (dirt blanket)

fine sandseparation gravel

collector container (with lid) drainage gravel

Biosand filter

Fuente: Inagor, Colombia

Biosand filter

spacer mesh

operation

poured a bucket of water rich in oxygen.

(even cloudy)

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Biosand filter

water flows through the perforated diffuser plate and combined with the

supernatant water layer is biological and with less oxygen and nutrients

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Biosand filter

water enters into the sand area with low

gravity

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Biosand filter

large sediment and pathogens are trapped in

the sand

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Biosand filter

microorganisms die from lack of nutrients

and oxygen

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Biosand filter

filtered water exits the tube and falls to the collector container

keeping the lid

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Biosand filter

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Commercial filter

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Commercial filter

Fuente: CAWST, Canadá

Comparison

800 lts/h √ √ √

60 lts/d √

need energy x

No energy √

US$ 1.000,00 x x x

US$ 60, 00 √ √

efectivity 99% √ √ √

efectivity 98% √ √ √

Commercial filter Biosand filter

Photos: CAWST / Aqua Clara International

Biosand filter

Conclusions

gastrointestinal diseases caused by unsafe water consumption can be avoided almost entirely

It is possible to improve the quality of water consumed by households in isolated, rural and remote

communities

water disinfection requires relatively little investment in the demand and costs for the

maintenance systemThe craft biosand filter is as effective as the

best commercial filters

Please, spreading this information. Thank you!

For more information write to: fundamorvenezuela@gmail.com oscarmanuelromero@yahoo.es

Follow us:@Fundamorvzla

Fundación Amor VenezuelaVisit:

www.fundamorvenezuela.blogspot.comwww.cawst.orgwww.eawag.ch

www.aquaclara.org/es/www.fundeih.org

Diseño y realización: Oscar Manuel Romero

Producción General:Fundación AMOR Venezuela

San Vicente y las Granadinasnoviembre de 2012

Traducción:Katherin Hernández