Transcript
Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage: the products of Basic Water Needs Lack of improved access to safe drinking water together inadequate sanitation and hygiene are the overwhelming contributors to the 1.8 million annual deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases. Providing access to safe drinking water through centralized systems in developing countries is very challenging. Large distribution systems involve a lot of operation and maintenance and often, drinking water gets contaminated during distribution and during handling in the household. Hence, treating drinking water at household level by using simple, yet effective Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) could significantly reduce incidences of waterborne diseases. Examples of HWTS methods are boiling, filtration, chlorination and SODIS. However, all these methods have not yet been able to reach the Bottom and Base of the Pyramid (BoP) at a large scale. Often these methods do not fulfill all three of the following criteria necessary to reach the BoP with safe drinking water in a sustainable form: simple, affordable and available. With the support of Aqua for All and Waterbedrijf Groningen, Basic Water Needs developed a water filtration technology according to its principles: simple, affordable and available. This resulted in the Tulip technology, which is used in filters that are simple to use and maintain; affordable, even for the BoP and available to the BoP all over the world. The Tulip Technology The Tulip technology, the candle filter, is based on ceramic gravity filtration combined with silver and activated carbon. This technology ensures that highly contaminated water becomes safe to drink for a sustained period. There is a removal of harmful bacteria of 99.995%, turbidity removal of 99% and protozoa removal of 99%. This helps to prevents water borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera, giardia, cryptosporidiosis, typhus and schistosomiasis. The silver technology guarantees that bacteria are unable to live and grow in the candle. Due to the controlled release of silver particles, bacteria are unable to live and grow in the filtered water, ensuring that the water remains safe for usage for a sustained period. Activated carbon adsorbs bacteria, leading to a very high e-coli removal rate. In addition, the added activated carbon will improve taste and smell of the water, leading to sustained usage.
This technology is used in three different water filters, each one appropriate for different situations often found amongst the BoP. Each product is able to deliver clean drinking water that costs $0.002-$0.005 per liter (depending on local distribution situation). Tulip Siphon water filter The Tulip Siphon is a portable water purifier that is easy to use and store. It purifies 4–5 liters of water per hour. The filter can be used in emergency situations as well as for daily usage. It has a unique backwash function making sure that the filter stays clean and fit for purification and a fast flow rate. The Tulip Siphon lasts for 7000 liters. After which the candle can be easily replaced. Tulip Table Top water filter The Tulip Table Top is a two bucket water filter and water storage facility in one. The top bucket is filled with raw water, which is filtered through the Tulip candle filter into the lower bucket. The water in the lower bucket is safe for immediate consumption. The water is also safe for storage in the lower bucket for longer periods. Cleaning is made simple via with the supplied scrub pad. The Tulip Table Top lasts for 7000 liters. After which the candle can be easily replaced. The Table Top model is most appropriate for households and small school classes. Tulip Group water filter
The Tulip Group Filter is most appropriate for schools and workplaces, since it filters up to 15 liters per hour and has multiple taps. The filter is easy to use: unpurified water is put in the top bucket and filtered by 3 Tulip filters. The fast flow hoses attached to the candles allows for fast flow up to 15 liters per hour. The purified water is immediately safe for consumption. The purified water can also be stored for later usage.
Available technologies Having a simple and affordable product is not enough to provide a sustainable solution for to the problem of safe drinking water for everyone: the products and its replacement components have to be available and accessible, also for the BoP. This means that a sustainable supply chain needs to be in place for our HWTS products which we realize through both our commercial and NGO network and by
directly and indirectly training and guiding national, regional and community entrepreneurs. Besides providing components and products, this network allows the sharing of technical knowhow concerning water treatment and hygiene in general and our products, including Tulip technology, specifically.
Basic Water Needs Leidsegracht 6 1016 CK Amsterdam www.basicwaterneeds.com Call +31 85 488 47 52 or e-mail to:
[email protected] Basic Water Needs India PVT LTD Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, India +91 413 26 55 963
