My friend in Nepal has sent me this query, I wonder if any of you can help with suggestions for appropriate solutions.
"I'm searching for an organisation that can give me professional information on water filter systems which could purify a water source for an entire village. We have a water source that gets contaminated by dead bodies, so we need immediate solutions to protect the villagers.
I am suggesting that appropriate raw water sources in those affected villages be identified . Such water can be collected and filter through amorphous Charcoal-Sand filter followed by boiling at 100oC or by adding between 1.0% and 2.5% of Sadium hypochlorite for disinfection.
This simple process will appreciably prevent waterborne infections.
We have UF system which runs without electricity and can cater to community of 3000 persons without use of chemicals with life span of 10 yrs. its portable and easy to install. Contact me for further details on supremusdelhi@gmail.com
We manufacture solar powered water purification systems in all sizes from 100 gallons per day in a portable systems to 1000 gallons per day in our stationary systems and larger. These systems are designed to purify water from creeks, rivers and lakes and are used for disaster response. We have systems already in Nepal working and are shipping more at this time. We work with Himalayan Aid and a couple other groups who have been on the ground there since the earthquakes happened. www.aqua-sun-intl.com
Reverse Osmosis, Iron exchange, and Package plant as well for the human consumption only. While busy planing to refurbished the affected WTW in the area.
It is very difficult to recommend any method without knowing the type and extent of contamination. However in the Himalays the slow sand filter has been used with great success hence i recommendation it. check www.himalayanwater.org. they have used slow sand filter with great success in Uttaranchal, India
Solutions to water treatment in emergencies include among other ways "Rapid Sand Filters" These can use 200 liters drums located at appropriate places in the village. The filters if properly prepared can render the water free from suspended matter and turbidity. The filter forms a layer at the top capable of trapping some pathogens.
We are. Working on a system which uses both uv sterilisation action and chlorination. Where power is not available, a foot pump/microgenerator combo is deployed to generate enough power to light and run the UV tube. Chlorination is provided to take care of possible residual contamination after UV treatment.
While I recognize that your question is motivated by the acute need to respond quickly to the Earthquake emergency, both you and your readers need to recognize that most Nepali villages as well as Katmandu itself had a chronic problem of water contamination long before the recent earthquake. This problem was caused in large part because of the system of intermittent supply that prevails throughout most of Nepal. For example, the typical home or standpipe receives water for only a few hours per day and the rest of the time the pipes are largely empty and/or subject to negative (suction) pressure. Consequently, even if the water is treated at some central distribution point, by the time it actually reaches the consumer it is highly likely to have been recontaminated through contact with polluted surface drainage or even raw sewage. Fortunately, Nepal previously had an outstanding example of a cost-effective 24/7 water supply system in the village of Dhulikhel, Nepal in the Katmandu Valley. This system not only assured an adequate, affordable and sustainable water supply for the community but it was able to protect that water from contamination. Unfortunately, many of the people in the surrounding area did not fully recognize the value of this system and after successfully operating for over a dozen years it was allowed to revert to an intermittent system (3 or 4 hours per day) and consequently was no longer capable of protecting the water during delivery.
On the issue of water sanitation in Nepal, apart from the use of ozone and UV disinfection which could be expensive, Charcoal-Sand filtration and Boiling may be useful especially in the rural communities. Activated charcoal will remove toxic organic compounds that could have contaminated the surface water and remove bacteria to some extent but boiling after filtration will completely remove bacteria for surface water to fit for drinking and other domestic purposes.
Considering the emergency and the locations, there are two options, based on practical approach: 1. treat water with Potassium Permangnate; and 2. treat water with alum (liquid or solid, just before use.
There are portable devices you can take with you to treat polluted water. Please visit the site below - Their products have been used during the disasters / earthquake aftermath in the past (Sumatra ) USA Company MIOX. www.miox.com/ You can see that in Amazon here. http://www.amazon.com/MSR-Miox-Water-Purifier/dp/B003ZZSGWQ
No matter what is the type of waste organic/inorganic, the contaminated water can be purified through Vedic Sciences technologies developed by Swami Valmiki Sreenivasa Ayyangarya.The technologies are fully commercialised and can be offered through government aid/ CSR initiative to take care of costs.Equipments are usually not needed.Water can be pumped from say a contaminated borewell into a pond/ tank where the water can be treated and used.Excact conditions need to be studied and communicated before a system is designed to function continuously.Please e mail me enquiries so that we can reply. E mail: santhanam.ramasubramanyam@gmail.com Land line: 91 11 29983668 Mob: 91 9871051842
Hello, My advice is: 1. Collect the contaminated water in a large container 2. Use Hydrogen Peroxide or a known treatment (IE: Bacquacil) to shock the water. I would refrain from chlorine as this can become costly to remove. 3. Obtain a 9-11 stage water purification filter system (Crystal Quest, Co.- low cost high output)to further purify the water for drinking. 4. Isolate the finished water in a secure distribution center 5. Use hydrogen peroxide and activated charcoal filters in the natural source water locations prior to the above critical potable treatment process. 6. These mini treatment systems could be set up in multiple locations . This is a basic concept which can be easily deployed and executed by the teams of responders already in place. This idea could help to serve groups across wider areas of the impacted zones in Nepal. There is also the method of distributing military field water purification filters and the Chemical purification tabs to individuals or small groups. U.S. soldiers are given this system to use in any water to produce usable drinking water.