Sustainable and Cost Effective

Water Solutions For The

Devikulam Community In

Tamil Nadu, India

Page | I

Executive Summary

The aim of the project is to build a low cost, sustainable and effective water

purification system for the residents of Devikulam. It is to be built from locally

available materials that would be easy to assemble, maintain and designed to

improve the quality of water and therefore the quality of life of the residents.

The scope of the project is aimed at individual households within the village. The

purification system is to fit on the ground outside or on a bench or table top inside

the home. With the village having running water through taps to the houses the

design is made to purify on average 20 litres of water per day for drinking and

washing purposes.

With the majority of households in Devikulam below the poverty line the design had

to be cost effective and relatively cheap to produce but not compromise the overall

effectiveness of the system. It was also considered how readily available materials

were and how easy to assemble it was.

The design is based on a copper coil system to reduce the levels of bacteria in the

water through a leeching effect, whereby the copper breaks down the bacteria on a

molecular level while keeping the copper levels low enough for human consumption.

The process takes roughly 12 hours to complete at room temperature. The copper

coil is suspended inside the water container and is secured by fishing line. It is then

followed by a charcoal and sand filtration system to remove sediment and any other

contaminants.

The final design of the system also incorporates rocks to slow the flow of water,

therefore reducing channel building in the sand. Cotton is used to avoid

contamination by the activated carbon and sand moving through the filter screens. A

wooden stand held a 20 litre water container. PVC piping and screen filters were

used to build the body of the filter. Taps are also implemented to control the flow

from the storage container to the filter and from the filter to the outlet.

Business sponsorship to build the prototype of the system was secured which

allowed the total cost of the prototype to not exceed $100. On a large scale the

system could be produced effectively for less using local materials.

Page | II

GROUP TIMELINE

It was tough at first trying to decide as a group which of the many topics we were

going to try and tackle. In the end we decided that safe drinking water is one of the

core problems facing humanity. Estimates show on average approximately 14,000

people die every day from water contamination related diseases worldwide and

around 1,000 Indian children die of diarrheal sickness daily. (Wignall, K. 2008).

We put our heads together and started to try and think of a basic and cost-effective

solution to this problem. It occurred to us quite quickly that there are many solutions

to this problem but most were costly avenues and required high levels of expertise to

implement. We would like to give special thanks to Greg Hanson from Aqua Sun

International for helping us with our initial research into solar pumps and how to build

a portable pump / purifier. It was found to be too costly and our aim shifted to

something non-powered that could be used in a single household scale but his help

in our initial research was invaluable.

We initially looked at solar water disinfection but decided that this could not be

implemented on a big enough scale for a town. We then looked at large scale

pumping and purification but the costs involved made it unrealistic. As much as we

would like to make a report with an exorbitant imaginary budget and the idea and

principles be great on paper, we hope our report may one day have some real world

application and assist a community. Daniel did quite a bit of research into charcoal

filtration but we quickly found out that charcoal filtration does not kill salmonella in

water. We all agreed that charcoal filtration was definitely a good start and could

somehow be implemented into the final design. We also had an in-depth group

discussion about suitable storage of the water.

When we started background research into the towns economic situation we were

shocked to learn that the average wage in this town was approximately $425

Australian dollars per year. It was clear to us from this point that any thoughts or

ideas we came up with had to be cost effective in all aspects from manufacture to

implementation and maintenance. None of us could imagine trying to survive on

those wages or conditions. It was starting to hit home with our group just how

Page | III

thankful we should be and how we take many things for granted that are needed

elsewhere.

After a few weeks of research we had a breakthrough in finding some information in

relation to using copper to kill salmonella. After looking into the information we

decided that this is the way our group wanted to go and we all felt a lot better once

we had a direction to go in. We went through many different ideas before setting on

copper and we will explain them all further in our report and why we didnt choose

those ideas over this one. We have all enjoyed doing this report and learning about

the problems facing the people in Devikulam and we hope our end result reflects

this.

By the start of the mid-semester break we had a clear focus and had already begun

basic drawings of our prototype. The aim was to build a standalone, non-powered

water purifier with a water reservoir on top of the system with a submerged copper

coil inside. When the water was stored in the container overnight any salmonella and

E.coli bacteria would be killed. In the morning the water was to be emptied out into a

jug or storage container for general use. Once the tap was turned the water

funnelled down from the reservoir through a filter system consisting of different

layers; large rocks, small rocks, sand, activated carbon, small rocks and large rocks.

A cotton filter was also to be used to stop any particles from the activated carbon

from sifting through. A magnetic filter was also considered on the end.

During the holidays Daniel and Ben started on the final design of the prototype

including estimating costs, maintenance and life cycle assessments and all other

aspects of the water filter in relation to how it would be used and how long it would

last in Devikulam. Meanwhile Joseph and Claire worked on the final bit of research

and preparing parts of the report.

By the end of the mid semester break all research was completed and typed up and

the initial designs of the prototype and estimated cost had all been completed. This

was an exciting time for the group as we realised all our work was coming together

and we could end up designing and manufacturing a product that could help people

in another country live a better life. Six weeks ago none of us could have known the

kind of contribution to this town we would have through this challenge.

Page | IV

0% 50% 100%

Daniel

Ben

Joseph

ClaireResearch intoPurification Solutions

Prototype Design

Prototype Building

Typing of Report

In the first couple of weeks back the group secured sponsorship for the development

of a prototype from a local business which reduced the cost involved. Ben was

mainly responsible for this and we were all excited that work was about to begin on

building the prototype. Before the semester break an email had been sent to CSIRO

to see if we could obtain a water sample that would be similar to that in Devikulam so

we could test our purifier to see if it actually worked. A few emails have been sent

back and forth with CSIRO since so we are all hoping that the plan for them to test

our samples comes to fruition.

CSIRO told us that a similar water sample to that of Devikulam might be found by

taking samples from the blue lake in Mount Gambier. We are hoping that if we can

get the report and prototype finished in time we may have time to take a road trip up

to Mount Gambier to take a few samples and run them through our filter.

By end of week 8 we have the first stage of the prototype built and the majority of the

report written up. We are starting to put together the executive summary and working

on our individual reflections of the project. We are hoping that by the end of week 9

we will have the first draft copy of the report finished and ready to be proof read and

edited. We are leaving things like the figures and tables editing and changing from

numerical to author date right until the very end when everything else is completed.

The team is excited about almost being at the end of this challenge. We have learnt

much as a team and we feel that we will learn more in the weeks to come leading up

to the handing in of our final report. We had a lot to change after we got the revised

copy of the interim chapter back. Quite a few things in the report had to be altered

and we were grateful that Ahn and Kate took the time to give us the feedback we

needed to help us finish this report properly. See chart below for distribution of work.

Page | V

SELF REFLECTIONS

Joseph Bramley - I thoroughly enjoyed partaking in the EWB challenge 2011, Even

though it is drawing to a close in the coming weeks i believe that I have learned so

much from it. It has truly been an eye opening experience learning about the

different hardships faced by the residents in Devikulam on a day to day basis. It

reaffirms to me just how lucky we are to live in Australia and it just goes to show that

things in our lives that we take for granted such as clean water, a roof over our head,

employment or unemployment benefits. Its things like these that we as a people just

expect to be given and have access to without any regards for just how lucky we are

to have it. When billions of others around the world do not have access to such basic

things that makes the quality of life so much better, Its almost a travesty to think us

as a nation and as a people sit idly by while people starve to death and die of water

diseases (by the thousands) purely because they cant afford a decent filtration

system. Personally I think the world needs to wake up and stop judging everyone by

the borders of their country or the colour of their skin or the accent they have. People

are people and until all the countries unite as one I fear that problems and

challenges faced by billions of people every day in 3rd world countries will just

continue if not get worse as the population increases.

I feel the biggest obstacle for me I faced during this challenge was when I was doing

a lot of the research into the town of Devikulam itself. Just seeing all the problems

that they were facing and not just that town but the people in India as a whole, some

research pointed to the fact that there were over 3000 Indian children dying every

day from malnutrition and over 1000 children a day from diarrhoeal disease. This

was a real eye opener for me I never realised the problems over in India were this

bad.

Working as a team in the project really made it the experience that it was. When you

are first thrown together as a group of strangers and given this problem to write a

report on it is a bit nerve racking. But we gelled as a team and focused on the

problem we had at hand, we worked well together and helped each other out and

pushed each other to achieve the best that we could, given the chance to do this

project again I would not choose to work with any other team.

Page | VI

There is only one aspect of the project I wish I could change. Time, We were never

rushed to get our report finished or meat any of the deadlines for the project,

however as we are building the prototype we designed for our report it would have

been good to have enough time to find water samples matching Devikulams and

actually have time to test our prototype so we could include the findings in our report.

There were many rewarding parts of the challenge experience, from learning about

different cultures and the problems they face on a day to day basis, to being given

the opportunity to one day maybe help the people in our report by having our ideas

brought to fruition. Even the looks of dare I say pride on Ahns and Kates faces

when they saw that our team was really embracing the project and taking leaps and

bounds to complete a report worthy of the EWB challenge, Without their help none of

our work could have been possible and for that we as a team are truly grateful. It is

hard to sum up in this reflection what the most enjoyable part of the challenge was,

as the challenge is not over yet and if our teams report happens to be one of the

ones chosen to be implemented in Devikulam then there will be plenty of exciting

and rewarding experiences to come. Thank you to everyone for allowing myself and

my team to be able to take part in this years challenge. It is an experience none of

us will forget in a hurry.

Daniel Davies - The past weeks have been swift and very interesting. I have learnt

many things and my understanding of what an engineer must know, fathom and

deliver has been clarified somewhat. It hasnt been an easy task, this EWB

challenge, but it hasnt been hard either. I found the challenge most enlightening,

opened my eyes in a sense to see how people in this poverty stricken village of

Devikulam have to live. Knowing something as simple as water is so difficult for the

people to access really made me feel like it is a privilege to be able to take it for

granted.

Myself as an individual found it really easy to concoct a design for our filtration

system, I found it a strength of mine to be able to process my thoughts into drawings

and sketches. I believe I struggled somewhat in transferring our researched material

into some of my ideas for designs, but eventually, as a team, we all stuck our heads

together and made it work.

Page | VII

Communication as a group was something we could have improved on, and I, well, I

think, should have been a little more outspoken with some things, it was a case of

our group warming to each other though, as it was only 10 weeks ago where we

were all strangers. Being thrown into a group with people I have never met before,

and knowing Id be working with them as a team to hopefully achieve a high

distinction grade was daunting.

As of where our group is now, I am happy that our team has worked so hard, Im

just glad to have been teamed up with such motivated, academic people.

Claire Bandy - The largest obstacle in my mind was the shear amount of paper work

that needed to be completed as well as building the prototype, we didnt have a

problem with this as we have Joe writer extraordinaire who did a lot of the footwork.

The project itself looks very big and intimidating particularly for first year students

such as myself who have only their lives previous to university to work with. Luckily

our group other than myself are all mature aged students who have a lot more in the

way of knowledge than me to at least have something to go with.

Working with this team makes me realise the amount of passion that some people

have for projects and aims. Also I now know that using Facebook to communicate

with for this project does not suit me at all I would rather using email rather than a

social network that I use a tool for connecting with my loved ones who all live far

away. Facebook should be a reward mixing the idea of pleasure and work does not

work for me.

Working with my group was the best part of working on this project and the research

on the Horse Radish tree. My group is mostly a lot of fun to work with, we joke

around and do our work and discuss issues with our work, its great I have learned a

lot about the world not just from my research but from my peers. The work on the

Horseradish tree has been fascinating; Im unsure why it isnt marketed here in

Australia as a solution against chorine for thoughts who are worried about the health

issues associated with chlorine.

Page | VIII

Ben Kirss The largest challenges I faced were working with the group to manage

my time for each section of the report and coping with the concept that people in

other countries suffer so much from lack of resources that we take for granted every

day.

Working as a team made each section of the report progress smoothly as everyone

was able to contribute and brainstorm to form better ideas which may have been

missed if we worked individually. It also helped to know that I didnt have to rely only

on my own knowledge and strengths to produce a report of this magnitude.

Were we to do this again the thing I would like to change most is having more time

as I feel we could have contributed even more to the community in India with more of

an opportunity. I would also change the executive summary hand in date to the same

as the report hand in date as it would have made it easier to summarise the key

points and information required for the summary once all the information had been

collated.

The most enjoyable part of this project was making new friends and improving the

lifestyle of a community in another country while increasing my own knowledge base.

I feel privileged to have been a part of this challenge and to have been able to

contribute to the overall wellbeing of people in another country.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................... I

- GROUP TIMELINE.............................................................................................. II

- SELF REFELCTIONS......................................................................................... IV

SECTION A INTRODUCTION

1.0 BACKGROUND OF DEVIKULAM.................................................................... 1

1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS....................................................... 2

1.2 ECONOMIC STANDING OF THE VILLAGE.......................................... 2

2.0 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE............................................................................. 3

SECTION B IDEATION AND SELECTION OF DESIGN

3.0 WATER SOURCE OPTIONS........................................................................... 4

3.1 PONDS................................................................................................... 4

3.2 BORE WATER....................................................................................... 5

3.3 RAINWATER.......................................................................................... 5

3.4 WATER SUMMARY............................................................................... 5

4.0 WATER TREATMENT OPTIONS.................................................................... 6

4.1 FILTRATION........................................................................................... 6

4.1.1 ACTIVATED CARBON FILTRATION........................................ 7

4.1.2 SLOW SAND FILTRATION....................................................... 8

4.1.3 ULTRA-VIOLET DISINFECTION.............................................. 9

4.1.4 CHLORINE................................................................................ 11

4.1.5 SOLAR WATER DISINFECTION.............................................. 11

4.1.6 MORINGA OLEIFERA WATER PURIFICATION...................... 13

4.1.7 COPPER COIL WATER PURIFICATION.................................. 15

4.1.8 MAGNETIC FILTRATION.......................................................... 16

4.1.9 STONE FILTRATION................................................................ 17

5.0 WATER PUMP OPTIONS................................................................................ 17

6.0 WATER TREATMENT SELECTION................................................................ 18

SECTION C DESIGN

7.0 PROPOSED SYSTEM DESIGN....................................................................... 19

7.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 25

7.2 ASSUMPTIONS.................................................................................... 25

7.3 PROPOSAL........................................................................................... 25

7.4 ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM................................... 28

7.5 CONCLUSION....................................................................................... 28

8.0 CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.................................. 29

8.1 MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION.................................................... 29

8.2 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE...................................................... 29

8.2.1 OPERATION............................................................................ 30

8.2.2 MAINTENANCE.................................................................... 30

9.0 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA)................................................................. 31

9.1 WATER USAGE BREAKDOWN............................................................ 31

9.2 IMPROVEMENT ANALYSIS.................................................................. 32

9.2.1 FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................. 32

SECTION D SUSTAINABILITY AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

10.0 SOCIAL IMPACT............................................................................................ 33

10.1 JOB OPPORTUNITIES........................................................................ 33

10.2 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT............................................................. 33

10.3 ETHICS................................................................................................ 34

11.0 EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.................................................. 34

12.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.......................................................................... 34

13.0 ECONOMICAL IMPACT................................................................................. 34

13.1 CONSTRUCTION COSTS................................................................... 35

13.2 RUNNING COSTS............................................................................... 36

13.3 COST ANALYSIS EVALUATION......................................................... 36

SECTION E CONCLUSIONS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND REFERENCES

14.0 CONCLUSION................................................................................................ 36

15.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................... 37

16.0 TABLE OF FIGURES..................................................................................... 38

APPENDIX 1.......................................................................................................... 39

APENDIX 1A.......................................................................................................... 40

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1.0 BACKGROUND OF DEVIKULAM

The word Devikulam means goddess of the pond. It is split into two separate words

and Devi means Goddess and Kulam means pond. The village name is also

described locally as meaning Village blessed by God. The town is named after the

lotus pond which is located in the centre of the village. The pond was once used as a

source of drinking water but is now more commonly used for bathing, washing cattle

and swimming. There are a total of 358 people (86 families) living in Devikulam. The

average family size within the town is four to seven people and the houses are

mostly hut-style homes with cement or mud floors, walls made from mud or bricks

and the roofs are either thatched or made from palm leaves. Houses generally have

thatched bathrooms without a toilet. The main occupation in the town is farming and

agricultural labour. The language spoken is Tamil and the most common religion is

Hindu. The ground water level in Devikulam is quite high but there are growing

concerns in the region about increasing salinity and its effects on drinking water,

Much of the land in Devikulam was spoiled after the 2004 tsunami as salt water

contamination occurred in the region via a local backwater (Buzza, N. 2009).. See

figure 1.1 for location

Figure 1.1

Page | - 3 -

1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS

The climate of Tamil Nadu is mostly tropical with little variation between summer

and winter temperatures. Between April and June is the hottest period with the

temperature reaching approximately 40C and November to February is the coolest

months with temperatures of approximately 20C. In the north east of Tamil Nadu

where Devikulam is located the monsoonal rains come between October and

December. The Average Rainfall in Tamil Nadu is between 635mm and 1905mm.

(Renaissance, T. 2009)

1.2 ECONOMIC STANDING OF THE VILLAGE

Devikulam is a relatively poor town, paid employment in Devikulam generally occurs

on an irregular basis. Fig 1.2 the poverty conditions in this town.

The average yearly income in Devikulam is 19,474 rupees (Buzza, N. 2008).

($424.65 Australian Dollars). Any system that is built must be inexpensive to buy and

maintain and household size. Without external funding and resources any plans and

system would fail due to insufficient funds and resources to be able to build such a

system. Even if funding was secured to build a large scale water purifier in

Devikulam on-going running costs and maintenance would make it unsustainable.

Figure 1.2

Page | - 4 -

Cooking Poisonous

gasses

Chlorine

heavey

metals and

bacteria

potential to

change cooking

habits or fuel

Water

EWB

Challenge

use of

copper

use

Medisonal

plants

filter Horse

Radish

Tree

Activated

Carbon

sand rocks

matrialmetal

UV light

disinfection

solar

lights

2.0 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

The objective is to provide clean and purified drinking water to the residents in

Devikulam. The aim is to remove salmonella and other bacteria and impurities from

the water for drinking and general domestic purposes; the scope is to implement the

design to be used in households across the town on an individual household scale

and for the project to be a cost effective and sustainable way to combat the water

problems faced by the people in Devikulam on a day to day basis. It is estimated that

20 litres of water is required per household per day (see appendix A for assumptions

and calculations.) This is a copy of the decision matrix that was implemented in the

initial plans of the project. (See Fig 2.1)

Figure 2.1

Page | - 5 -

3.0 WATER SOURCE OPTIONS

Devikulam has three water source options. They collect their water from the bores

located in the town, the pond that the town is built around or taps in their homes. See

Fig. 3.1 for a map of the town layout and water source options (EWB website, 2011)

3.1 PONDS

Devikulam is built around the larger of the two ponds. According to an online report,

In recent years the town has stopped using the pond as a water source as it is now

more commonly used as a bathing place for both human and cattle and also

swimming (Buzza, N. 2008). This report has not been verified. Due to the lack of

any further information, the decision was made to obtain the water solely from the

bores located in Devikulam.

Figure 3.1

Page | - 6 -

3.2 BORES

Devikulam has fourteen bores located in and around the town.(See Fig. 3.1) It is

unclear whether or not some or all of these are tapped. There are only two water test

results for bores in Devikulam. (Refer Appendix 1) The aim of the project was to

obtain water from these bores, either directly from the bores or through the taps in

their homes. It seemed the most viable option as the residents of Devikulam already

have working taps in their houses that feed the water from the main tank (bore fed)

into their homes. So if there was a cheap, effective and sustainable way to

implement the plans of this report into the lives of the residents without putting too

much strain on their daily routine then this would be advantageous for the whole

community.

3.3 RAINWATER

As discussed in section 1.1 monsoonal rainfalls in Devikulam have a varying yearly

average rainfall with the averages ranging from 635mm to 1905mm (Renaissance, T.

2009) In comparison the gap between the two averages is the equivalent of 2.17

years of Adelaides yearly rainfall average.(ABS 2011) Devikulam does not have

adequate dams in place or water catchment plants, it is very important to reduce

water wastage from the bores and also save water from the bores until such time as

a proper facility to harvest rainwater is in place.

3.4 WATER SUMMARY

In summary, sourcing the water from the bores was selected as the best option to

provide a safe, inexpensive and effective source for the water entering the filtration

system. In years to come if the town returns to using the pond as a water source it is

hoped the device that was designed for the bore water could also be used in filtration

of the pond water. It was decided that if the information about the pond use as cattle

water and bathing purposes was correct that it would not be a suitable choice for

water sourcing.

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4.0 WATER TREATMENT OPTIONS

There are many water treatment options available; some are quite costly to

implement. With the average yearly income in Devikulam being $424.65 Australian

dollars, a low cost solution had to be found. Many solar / carbon filtration pump

systems on the market would be suitable to provide safe drinking water, however at

$5,000 to $10,000 dollars a system it would be a waste of time to investigate further

and write a report on such a setup knowing it would cost on average 20-25 years of

someones salary to buy such a system. It was put forward to not only find viable and

sustainable water filtration solutions but also to research with the mindset that once it

was completed an effective prototype could be built with limited funds that may one

day be implemented and used in households in Devikulam.

4.1 FILTRATION

Filtration is something that the residents of Devikulam desperately need in their

water. From the results of water quality tests on bore 1 it shows the water is saline

and has traces of Salmonella and E. coli. (EWB 2011) (See Appendix 1)

The results show that filtration is required on some level to help to remove the

bacteria and other impurities from the water. The test results of the water quality test

on bore 2 have similar results. (EWB 2011) (See Appendix 1A)

With these results in mind we started to look across the vast range of options to see

what kind of cost effective solucctions could be found and how best to meet the

towns-peoples needs and budget, and how to come up with an effective solution

that would bring into consideration all the aspects that this problem has.

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4.1.1 ACTIVATED CARBON FILTRATION

Activated carbon is a very effective filtering material. Activated carbon acts like a

sponge, drawing contaminants out of liquids and gasses. The filter works by trapping

the contaminants on the surface of the exposed carbon molecules (See Fig. 4.1)

Adsorption does not create a chemical reaction between the carbon and the

contaminants. However, oxygen and hydrogen atoms clinging to the surface of the

carbon molecules may cause some chemical reactions during the filtering process.

(Bjorg, M. 2010).

The disadvantage to carbon filtering is that the effectiveness of the filtration process

is dependent on the quality of the carbon, pore size and surface areas. The size of

contaminants to be removed from the water must be directly proportionate to the

pore size of the activated carbon.

The strength of the carbon is also very important as it needs to be able to withstand

the pressures on it created by the filtration process. This process is most effective

when the water has high levels of contaminants. Some of the other factors that can

affect the process are length of time the contaminants remain inside the filter (flow

rate), temperature, pressure and humidity. The effectiveness of this filtration process

decreases as the pore sites and bonding sites start to fill with contaminants. When

this occurs the carbon has to be re-activated or replaced. Carbon is readily available

in places like Devikulam as it is surrounded by forest. Turning charcoal into carbon

can be a difficult process but with the right training programs this could become a

very cost effective solution for water filtration in Devikulam. A company in the United

Kingdom ships activated carbon; you can buy it in 5kg lots for 39.95 (Company

2008). roughly $60-65 Australian dollars.

Figure 4.1

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4.1.2 SLOW SAND FILTRATION

Sand Filtration is a common choice in many developing countries as it is cheap and

sand is readily available in most places around the world. Unlike most water filters

sand filters use a biological process to clean the water. They are non-pressurized

systems and they do not require chemicals or electricity to operate. Unlike the

majority of other water filters that produce water on demand sand filters produce

water at a slow, constant flow. They are usually used in conjunction with water tanks

for peak usage. [9]

Sand filters are typically 1-2 metres deep and can be rectangular or cylindrical and

are used primarily to treat surface water. The length and breadth of the tanks are

determined by the flow rate desired by the builders of the filter. See Fig. 4.2

Some of the advantages of sand filtration are that they require little or no mechanical

power, chemicals or replaceable parts and only require periodic maintenance. Due to

their simple design they are often created in DIY projects in developing countries to

aid the poor. These filters are also recognized by such organisations as the WHO

(World Health Organisation), the United States EPA (Environmental Protection

Agency) and the United Nations, as being superior technology for the treatment of

surface water. The World Health Organisation states that "Under suitable

circumstances, slow sand filtration may be not only the cheapest and simplest but

also the most efficient method of water treatment (Huismans, L. 1974).

Figure 4.2

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This method of filtration covers a few aspects of the design criteria however a sand

filter by itself is not a viable option in the town of Devikulam due to the size of the

filter required to be effective without any other forms of filtration. With this said if the

sand filter was used in conjunction with other types of filtration it could be an

effective aspect to any filter system.

4.1.3 ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT DISINFECTION

Ultraviolet light disinfection is a chemical free way of killing microorganisms or

rendering them harmless. These microorganisms can range from bacteria and

viruses to algae and protozoa.

UV Disinfection has been used in many different areas ranging from air and water

purification and many other disinfection and sterilization options. One of the many

advantages of UV Disinfection is that it can disinfect a large amount of water much

faster than chlorine, without the retention tanks and harmful chemicals. UV treatment

systems are also very cost effective.

Another advantage of UV disinfection is how environmentally friendly it is. There are

no dangerous chemicals to handle or to store. It is a universally accepted system for

portable and non-portable water systems. It has fairly low initial setup costs and has

relatively low operating expenses compared to the similar technologies such as

ozone and chlorine. It has an immediate treatment process with no need for holding

tanks. It has relatively easy installation (If a pre-setup unit is purchased), two water

connections and a power connection.

In essence the treatment process is quite complex. Ultraviolet is one energy region

of the electromagnetic spectrum, this lies between the x-ray region and the visible

region. UV itself lies in the ranges of 200 nanometres (nm) and 390 nanometres.

Optimum UV germicidal action occurs at exactly 260nm. (Technologies, T. 2009)

Page | - 11 -

Since the natural germicidal UV from the sun is screened out by the earths

atmosphere, another way must be found of procuring UV light. This is accomplished

through the conversion of electrical energy in a low pressure mercury vapour hard

glass quartz lamp (See Fig. 4.3) Electrons flow through the ionized mercury vapour

between the electrodes of the lamp, which then creates the UV light.

As UV light penetrates through the cell wall and cytoplasm membrane, it causes a

molecular rearrangement of the microorganism's DNA, which prevents it from

reproducing. If the cell cannot reproduce, it is considered dead.

UV Light is a chemical free way of helping to produce the clean drinking water that

Devikulam needs, however the initial setup costs and power requirements for such a

unit make it a non-sustainable solution for the town.

Figure 4.3

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4.1.4 CHRLORINE

Chlorine has the potential to develop problems very easily. An under dose of

Chlorine tablets means that there will be the potential for water bacteria to still exist

while an overdose of the tablets results in a water that tastes terrible, can make

people sick and will not be cost effective. Liquid chlorine is more dangerous with the

potential to burn through the skin. As well as this it has been reported that constant

use of chlorine causes cancer. (AQUA-SAFE 2009).

To limit the dangers to the people of Devikulam it was decided that it would be a far

safer option to avoid the use of chlorine.

4.1.5 SOLAR LIGHT DISINFECTION

Solar light disinfection also known as SODIS is an effective and low cost method of

disinfecting water. It requires water to be stored in plastic PET bottles. The bottles

are then to be placed in direct sunlight for 6 hours or 2 days if conditions are cloudy

(See Fig. 4.4) Exposure to the sunlight has been shown to deactivate diarrhoea

causing organisms in polluted drinking waters. The effects of the solar radiation

contribute to the deactivation of pathogenic organisms (SODIS 2010).

Figure 4.4

Page | - 13 -

If the water is highly turbid; the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by

individual particles, it requires the use of another filter either pre or post SODIS

treatment.

This type of water treatment is only common in individual houses. It involves a few

risk factors such as the water needing to be left in the sun for the correct amount of

time. The age of the bottles greatly reduces the effectiveness of the treatment as a

scratched bottle will reduce the effects of solar light on the water and the regrowth of

bacteria. Once removed from sunlight remaining bacteria may reproduce in the dark.

However that can be combatted by adding 10 parts per million of hydrogen peroxide

and that is effective at preventing the regrowth of wild salmonella while remaining

well within acceptable consumption levels for humans (Sciacca F, Rengifo-Herrera

JA, Wth J, Pulgarin C (2010).

The WHO (World Health Organisation) and Red Cross both believe this to be a

viable option for water treatment for developing countries. However it was not

selected to be implemented into the project because of the huge range of varying

factors from damaged bottles to left in or out of the sunlight for too long. The aim is

to find something more sustainable and effective for the people of Devikulam and the

idea of solar light purification just involved too many differentiating factors that could

make it ineffective or compromise the integrity of the end product.

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4.1.6 MORINGA OLEIFERA WATER PURIFICATION

Researching into the benefits of this tree was certainly quite interesting. The Moringa

Oleifera has been named the most useful tree in the world according to Michael Lea,

a researcher at Clearinghouse, which is a Canadian organisation dedicated to

investigating and implementing low-cost water purification technologies.

Using 100-200 crushed seeds from the Moringa Oleifera tree per litre it is possible to

reduce bacteria in previously untreated water from anywhere between 90% and

99.99%. This could help drastically reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases in

the developing world.

Even though it has significant water purification potential the plant also has many

other advantages to it. The 10 meter tall tree is extremely drought resistant, it yields

lighting oils, soil fertiliser as well as nutritious food in the form of its pods, leaves,

seeds and flowers. Indians refer to the plants pods as munga, saragwa or saragwe.

They use these pods in a variety of curry dishes and to prepare a variety of sambar.

The horseradish tree is renowned for its nutritional values particularly in its protein

calcium iron and vitamin C levels, Moringa preparations have been cited in the

scientific literature as having antibiotic, antitrypanosomal, hypotensive,

antispasmodic, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, and

hypoglycaemic activities (Fahey J, 2009)

The pods are used in water purification by crushing the seeds into powder and using

the powder as a water-soluble extract in suspension. This results in a natural

effective agent for highly turbid and untreated pathogenic surface water. As well as

improving its drinking qualities, this technique reduces the waters turbidity

(cloudiness) making the result just as much aesthetically pleasing as it does make it

microbiologically more acceptable for human consumption.

Page | - 15 -

"This technique does not represent a total solution to the threat of waterborne

disease," concluded Lea. "However, given that the cultivation and use of the Moringa

tree can bring benefits in the shape of nutrition and income Claire is awesome as

well as of far purer water, there is the possibility that thousands of 21st century

families could find themselves liberated from what should now be universally seen

as19th century causes of death and disease. This is an amazing prospect, and one

in which a huge amount of human potential could be released. This is particularly

mind-boggling when you think it might all come down to one incredibly useful tree."

Millions of people in India alone rely on untreated surface water for their daily water

needs every day. It was decided not to incorporate this miracle plant into our overall

design for the project due to the intense amount of work it would take to gather the

seeds, as it would take 3000 seeds per day for our system and even the most

mature seed pods only give up to 12 seeds. Alternatively they could buy the seeds

in, but 1000 seeds can cost from about $51 to $175 Australian dollars, not a very

cost effective solution. The use of this plant across many different areas and aspects

might seem like a helpful addition to any town in a developing country and as an

addition to purified water out of the current system for the sick the young and the

elderly. (Lea M 2010)

Moringa Oleifera has the potential to be used in Devikulam as the plant is best suited

to subtropical and tropical climates. This goes hand in hand with the need for dry

sandy soil presuming Devikulam is close to the ocean due to the tsunami damage

to the water Devikulam has the potential to have sandy soil which suits the tree best.

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4.1.7 COPPER COIL WATER PURIFICATION

Copper Coil water purification has many benefits. The first evidence that was found

of research into this kind of purification was conducted in Bangalore, India. They ran

tests to determine whether storing water over night in copper pots or any type of

water storage device with copper coils inside them would stop or reduce the growth

of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhi. After water was left in the devices for a

period of 16 hours the water stored in the copper pots did not have any form of

bacterial growth, however bacteria in the water stored in the normal glass bottle grew

at an astonishing 30 times the previous amount. (See Fig. 4.5) Preethi Sudhaa, K. O.

S., S.R. Prasadb and Padma Venkatasubramaniana (2009).

The amount of copper that leeched into the water after being stored in the copper

pots was well within the limits safe for human consumption that are stipulated by the

WHO (World Health Organisation). The study done by S.R. Prasad at the

Department of Microbiology, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College clearly substantiates

the ancient claim by Ayurvedic texts that water stored in copper vessels can promote

health. AYURVEDA (2007). Used in conjunction with other types of water purification

in the system may result in a safe and effective unit for use in a single household.

Figure 4.5

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4.1.8 MAGNETIC WATER

Research carried out by NASA has shown that astronauts who are cut off from the

earths magnetic field for a period of time develop significant health problems.

Research shows that the earths magnetic field is declining steadily and has lost over

30% of its strength in the last 2000 years. The human body is very responsive to

electromagnetic fields and treatment with pulsed electromagnets has been found

highly effective in curing fractures, migraines, headaches, insomnia and depression.

With this in mind research was done into the effects of magnets and water. (Larsen,

H. R. (2008)

The first practical application of water magnetisation occurred in the 1950s when

engineers discovered that magnetically treated water had a greatly reduced

tendency to form scale when heated. Several explanations for this have been

advanced. The most plausible being that magnetization breaks up the clusters of

water which surround lime and other foreign molecules. By doing so these molecules

get the opportunity to crystallize and be carried along in the water rather than deposit

themselves on the walls of the pipes. Although this explanation has many

proponents it does not fully explain why magnetized water also dissolves old scale

deposits.

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina recently reported that

cleaning the teeth with water from a magnetized irrigator can reduce calculus

formation by over 60 per cent and improve overall gum health. Israeli agricultural

researchers found that the use of magnetized water increased farm yields by

anywhere from 5 to 20 per cent. Cows drinking magnetized water produced more

milk and were healthier than cows drinking untreated water. Sheep produced more

wool and meat, hens laid more eggs and all farm animals survived longer when

drinking magnetized water. Magnetized water is energy-building, activating,

cleansing and detoxifying. There are reports of people resolving bladder problems,

recovering quickly from a stroke, alleviating arthritic pain and reducing blood

pressure by drinking magnetized water. It is reasonable to assume that if scientific

studies on animals have proven that magnetized water has health benefits, then it

should also be beneficial to humans. So far there have been no systematic, clinical

trials done to prove or disprove the healing effects of magnetized water in humans.

Page | - 18 -

4.1.9 STONE FILTRATION

The stones have no real filtration purpose, they may catch larger bits of sediment in

the water but the main purpose behind having stones before and after the filter

layers are to regulate the flow of the water in the filter. Especially in conjunction with

the sand filtration, this stops the water from making channels in the sand and

rendering the sand filter ineffective.

5.0 WATER PUMP OPTIONS

After extensive research into solar pumps and into the town of Devikulam itself it was

discovered that the town has recently upgraded water lines and taps so the majority

of houses in Devikulam now have running water and dont have leaking taps. Once

this was discovered it was decided that the project was going to be based on a water

filter unit that could be put inside each house and refilled from the tap. This way the

design could be kept cheap yet be very effective in the town in helping to purify their

water.

Research done into mobile and stationary solar pumps with water purifiers on them

showed that the cost of such a system would range from $2,000 for an entry level

system right up to $20,000 or more for a high end pump and filter that could solve

the towns problems permanently. With limited resources a pump of such magnitude

is not cost effective or sustainable.

A company in America called Aqua Sun International make mobile systems for

pumping and purifying water. The model of particular interest to the project was

called the Villager S8-3 which is capable of pumping 18,800 litres of water per day

and purifying it. During the course of the research contact was made with Greg

Hanson (2011) who is a solar systems technician for the company. He gave relevant

information on their products and also gave a basic run down on how to build one of

their systems from scratch using other equipment. This proved to be too costly and it

was decided that a non-powered filtration unit was the way to go.

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6.0 WATER TREATMENT SELECTION

A short list comprising all water treatment options was compiled and research began

into prototypes and how to build a unit utilising all the different types of water

treatment options that had been settled on. Ultra-Violet light disinfection and solar

light disinfection were discarded from the start due to high costs. All other areas

discussed in the previous chapter were looked upon as viable ways to treat water

cheaply and effectively for the citizens of Devikulam.

Page | - 20 -

7.0 PROPOSED SYSTEM DESIGN

These were the general plans that were used to bring ideas into a type of decision

tree. The aim was to show all the ideas simply and to draw up some designs

following the chart.

Figure 7.1

Page | - 21 -

Different system designs were considered over the duration of the project. Many

different aspects were changed and the look of the purifier was altered considerably

until a final design was decided upon. Cost, size, durability and the overall look of the

system were the main aspects looked at in the design process. In this chapter are

some of the prototypes and a brief explanation of why they were not used. The

prototype below was the first design. At first the group was focusing on utilising solar

power to heat the water. It was decided that heating was not needed as room

temperature water would activate the copper the same as heated water and the cost

was too excessive.

Figure 7.2

Page | - 22 -

The second design attempted to use solar power again in another manner but a

system like this was deemed to be too difficult to be kept outside and once again too

expensive and unnecessary to build a unit with a solar power heating element. Also

it seemed flimsy at certain stress points and it was top heavy and might break easily.

It could have been aesthetically pleasing but not as sustainable as other designs that

could be approached.

Figure 7.3

Page | - 23 -

This design was closer to what the group was hoping for. Something that looked

sturdy and cost effective. The group were still set on being able to use solar power

and kept researching the subject however this was the last design incorporating that

feature as trying to find a cost effective way of incorporating it was not feasible. At

this point the basic structure of the design was decided and the aim was to have a

unit that could sit on a table or bench and be a lightweight portable device when

empty.

Figure 7.4

Page | - 24 -

This is the basic schematic of the final plan. The idea was to cut the top off a water

container. Place a copper coil inside the water bottle. Attach a water filter to the base

of the bottle and stand this on a base made of wood. The Filter is going to consist of

6 layers. Big rocks, small rocks, sand with cotton, activated carbon then another

layer of small rocks and big rocks.

Figure 7.5

Page | - 25 -

Graphical representation of what the Prototype looks like (without the lid).

Figure 7.6

Figure 7.7

Figure 7.8

Page | - 26 -

7.1 INTRODUCTION

After many different attempts a design was settled on. The design brings in many

different aspects of filtration. In the following parts of this chapter the reader will be

introduced to the assumptions, proposal and overall design of the system and the

advantages that it has. The entirety of the project has been directed to this stage.

7.2 ASSUMPTIONS

In the team there are numerous assumptions being made about this design. Every

specification of the filter is based on the research that was done into this topic

without any real testing of the individual aspects of the filter itself. It is hoped that

each part of the filter does what the research claims it does and when put together

as a whole every aspect will still function correctly and the end result will be clean,

safe and filtered water for the residents in Devikulam.

With this said it is still the aim of the project team to be able to test our prototype

against various water samples to prove that not only are all the methods of filtration

we have used an effective way to filter water but also to show that the prototype is a

viable option for the people in Devikulam.

7.3 PROPOSAL

The proposed system design is a somewhat small unit that can either be placed on

the floor or on a table or bench. The container at the top of the system would hold

approximately 20 litres of water. (See Fig. 7.8)

This would house a copper coil which would be suspended in the middle of the

container by four pieces of fishing line attached to the edges of the container. It was

decided to tie it in this way rather than permanently mount it somehow to make it

easier to remove for cleaning purposes. The copper coil aspect of the filter is

designed to stop the growth of Salmonella and E.coli in the drinking water.

Page | - 27 -

The container would then sit on top of a small holding structure made up of wood.

Exact measurements of the wood and the structure will be mentioned in the

instruction manual on how to build the system in a later chapter. On the underneath

of the wooden frame a tap will be attached to allow the control of the water flow to

the filter. The filter screws into the outlet of the tap. This filter will be made up of

numerous interlocking screen filters. In-between each layer of these screens will

consist of different layers of filtration materials. The layers go from the top of the filter

where water flows in, down to the bottom layer in the following order: Large rocks,

small rocks, sand with cotton, activated carbon with cotton, small rocks and another

layer of large rocks. (See Fig. 7.9)

Figure 7.9

Figure 7.10

Page | - 28 -

Large Rocks - In the first screen there are large rocks. This is designed to help slow

the water flow and keep it even across the entire screen surface before reaching the

next phase.

Small Rocks - Similar purpose to the larger rocks. These rocks are meant to slow

the flow down a little more and also to catch any larger pieces of dirt or debris in the

water while keeping the flow spread evenly as to not make runnels in the sand at the

next phase.

Sand with cotton - A small layer of sand sitting on top of a bed of cotton to stop the

sand from simply falling through the screen. The sand and cotton are designed to

stop any smaller pieces of dirt or debris in the water, reduce the turbidity and remove

some salinity from the water.

Activated Carbon with cotton - A layer of activated carbon sitting on top of a bed of

cotton to trap any contaminants that remain in the water. Even though activated

carbon has a limited life span, this can be greatly increased by removing it from the

system and washing it every four to six weeks.

Small Rocks To complete the symmetry of the filter and also keep the water flow

at an even rate another layer of small rocks were added.

Large Rocks The final stage of the filter before the water is run out into a storage

container. Completes symmetry of filter and allows water flow to increase slightly but

remain even.

This system is not designed to purify excessive amounts of water on a large scale

but is a cheap and effective solution to purify all the drinking water needed by a

family in Devikulam.

Page | - 29 -

7.4 ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM DESIGN

There are many advantages to the proposed design. It is a lightweight effective

solution for the people of Devikulam. It will be designed so that water can be poured

straight into it from the water supply of their house. It will look much like the spring

water systems used in businesses and homes around Adelaide.

The system will be sustainable, durable and reliable. The design makes it easy to

clean. It should only take ten to fifteen minutes per fortnight to clean thoroughly and

put back together. The system is a relatively cheap design with a cost of less than

$100 Australian per unit. The components which require purchasing would amount to

no more than $50 Australian every two to three years depending on how much water

is purified. Some components can also be sourced locally for free or minimum cost.

On average we expect the maximum use of the system to be around 20 litres per

day for general use including cooking, drinking and cleaning.

It cannot be said at this stage of the report that the unit is 100% effective. The only

thing the claims can be based on is the research of each individual aspect of the

filter system.

What can be said for certain is this is a cost effective, sustainable and useful piece of

equipment for any resident in Devikulam in relation to a clean and safe drinking

supply for their future.

7.5 CONCLUSION

A lot of work and has gone into the research and design of this system. Any testing

done in the future will hopefully show positive results and allow the system or any

aspect of it to be implemented in the daily lives of the residents of Devikulam.

Page | - 30 -

8.0 CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

The E4 Water Purification Unit is simple in design, construction and maintenance.

Building the unit required some skill in the use of common tools such as a saw,

hammer and drill. The ability to measure and have a steady hand also played a part.

Maintaining the unit is a simple case of keeping it clean and checking for damage

and leaks. Clearing out the carbon every 6 weeks keeps the system fully functional

.

8.1 MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

The materials used for the base were sourced from a local hardware store. These

included decking timber for the top of the bench and treated pine for the legs. An

assortment of screws and nails were also used.

The materials used for the main system were sourced from a local supply business

which also contributed sponsorship in the form of discounted materials. These

included PVC taps and piping, a container, joints, reducers and screen filters.

The construction was a process of securing the frame together with screws and nails

then drilling a hole in the top for our filter to sit in. The filter was constructed using a

20L water container on top with a socket attached on the end which sits between the

table and the tap. The socket has a screw fitting on the base which screws into a tap.

The tap feeds into an expanding attachment to reach the diameter of the screen

filters. After the filter system a reducer decreases the diameter of the pipe and a 45

PVC elbow was attached to direct flow away from the frame.

8.2 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

Operation and maintenance are the two most important aspects of this system.

Without proper operation or maintenance the filter may not perform to its maximum

potential and not remove all the impurities from the water. Seeing this is the most

important function for the system it is imperative that both these aspects are well

followed and well understood.

Page | - 31 -

8.2.1 OPERATION

The system functions by having gravity fed water flow from the container which

houses the copper coil. It is triggered by the tap below the frame top. Water flows

down the PVC piping and into the filter, it is passed through the screens, first being

slowed by a series of smooth rocks passing into washed sand to remove large

sediment. The following screen filters the microscopic particles by passing through

activated carbon granules. This screen also removes the dangerous coliforms from

the water. After passing through the carbon the water reaches rocks which are

symmetrical to our filter design to steady the flow of water. Finally the water leaves

the spout and can be used in any manner.

Once the system has been assembled, all that is required is water to be poured into

the container. Water is to be treated by the copper for approximately 12 hours

(overnight) once treated the resident can turn the tap for access to clean drinking

water.

8.2.2 MAINTANENCE

Maintaining the system is simple. The design has been specifically tailored so the

system can be easily cleaned. The container is detachable from the filter and the

filter screens are separable. This means if part of the filter is dirty, it can be removed,

cleaned, refilled and replaced in minutes. The third and fourth screens from the top

which contain sand and activated carbon will be the most regularly cleaned and

replaced, every six weeks is a requirement.

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9.0 LIFE CYCLE ASSESMENT (LCA)

This system was built to withstand the tests of time, The PVC pipe filter is rated to

last 100 years or more, if the PVC is coated with water based acrylic paint then it can

be left in the sun without any negative effect to its integrity. (PPFA, 2011)

Activated carbon remains effective for around six weeks. This is based on the

assumption that the filter will have approximately 15 litres of water per day run

through it. After this amount of time the carbon can either be washed and re-

activated or simply thrown out and replaced. The running cost assessment in this

report has been based around the carbon being replaced every six weeks.

The sand in the filter is purely up to the users choice; it can either be washed and

re-used every two to four weeks or thrown out and replaced. As sand is so readily

available in India this is left up to the user of the filter.

9.1 WATER USAGE BREAKDOWN

The filter is capable of filtering 15 litres of water every 12 hours. This is how long it

takes for the copper to deactivate the bacteria in the water. All the life cycle

assessments and running cost assessments were worked out using 15 litres per day

as a reference. This filter is capable of filtering 30 litres a day if the water was re

filled every 12 hours.

15 litres was deemed adequate as the average family size in Devikulam is four

people and the World Health Organisation recommends a human should drink 2

litres of safe drinking water a day.

If the residents of Devikulam wanted clear drinking water for cooking then the water

does not need to sit in the top of the filter for 12 hours as boiling the water would kill

the bacteria. Water could be poured directly into the container when needed and

allowed to run through the filtration system

Page | - 33 -

9.2 IMPROVEMENT ANALYSIS

To keep the prototype cost effective decking timber and was used to construct the

frame. To improve the durability of the unit a steel frame would be recommended.

Due to cost constraints there is little saline reduction in the water by the unit. Other

areas of filtration to be added to the unit would also improve the water filtered by the

system.

9.2.1 FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS

Some recommendations for future revisions of the system include the frame being

constructed of stainless or treated steel with adjustable legs to allow the ability to use

indoors on a bench or outdoors on the ground. An optional wall attachment for

securing the system to a wall outside to increase stability could also be implemented.

A gutter attachment for water catchment during the monsoonal seasons would also

be effective.

An alternate storage tank with a larger or smaller capacity for increased or

decreased numbers living in a house to cope with the extra water usage may also be

implemented. A meshed copper wire insert to replace the copper coil would increase

the surface area of the copper in the water to help leech into the water more

effectively. Large diameter piping through the filter for increased water flow while

continuing to keep the filtration even for heavy duty, large scale use may be utilised.

Page | - 34 -

10.0 SOCIAL IMPACT

The water puification systems have a minimal impact on the vilage as each system is

owned and operated by individual households. As someone will still have to retrieve

the water the family role will also remain unaffected. The on going use of the water

purification system will improve the health of the residents of Devikulam. This has

the potential to change the social impact on the people by lengthening their lives.

10.1 JOB OPPORTUNITIES

The job opportunities when it comes to the system are limited. One or two people

maintaining or potentially building the systems could be one opportunity. If the unit

itself became a part of all households in Devikulam then an individual or group of

people could look into starting a business based around building and servicing the

units. The system design is not complex and is easy to build, clean and maintain by

the individuals living in the houses so this may be unnecessary. The design criteria

included the product being easy to use and maintain so employment opportunities

should be limited if the product was designed correctly.

10.2 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

It would be a useful endeavour to get the community involved in the assembly of the

water systems as it would attribute a sense of ownership of the product rather than a

handout. If the product is seen as a free hand out it may not be seen or taken into as

much respect as if it was built by themselves thus it is critical to the plan to have the

communities involved with the production of the water purifier not only so they

understand the basics behind the system and how to repair it if something broke on

it, but also for their own satisfaction.

Page | - 35 -

10.3 ETHICS

This project and all its endeavours is an ethical solution to one of Devikulams

problems. The use of the plastic water container to hold the water may raise ethical

concerns regarding the breaking down of the water container however an alternative

is not available and the lifetime of the container will be well within standards if kept

inside and cleaned regularly. The water system requires very little of the owners time

other than the storing and pouring of water in to the system and cleaning of the

filtration and copper. The rest of the system is recyclable and easily replaced.

11.0 EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

Any education and training programs would be run in conjunction with the Devikulam

development committee. This committee is responsible for fixing the entire water

infrastructure in Devikulam and are planning on building solar street lighting for the

community. This means they have the skills to implement any system into the

community and to be able to educate the residents on the advantages and

implementation of such a system.

12.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

As this system has no use of chemicals or electricity there is little to no

environmental impact. All the layers in the filter are environmentally friendly and once

the layers have reached the end of usability they can be disposed of without any

detrimental effect to the environment.

13.0 ECONOMICAL IMPACT

The economic impact was kept as low as possible. In Australian dollars it is cost

effective to be able to produce a water purification system for $64, however when

you take into account that it is approximately 15% of their annual income it seems

like a high figure. The benefits outweigh the costs involved as this system can bring

Page | - 36 -

down the mortality rate in India caused by E.coli and coliforms in the water and there

is no monetary figure that can be placed on life.

13.1 CONSTRUCTION COSTS

While the construction costs are small in comparison to the benefits of the system,

the difference in the Australian dollar and the Indian rupee must be taken into

consideration. (See Table 13.1) Labour costs are not factored into the final cost

estimate of the system as it can be built at home using basic tools in a short amount

of time. The system was built to be as cost effective as possible as the average

annual income of a resident in Devikulam is approximately $424 AUD. Even this

design is relatively expensive as it is 15% of their annual income. The benefits of

such a system outweigh the disadvantages.

Materials Cost (AUD) Cost (INR)

Frame $10 R 471

2 metres of Copper Coil $23 R 1083

PVC components $20 R 942

Miscellaneous Items (Screws etc.) $3 R 141

Activated Carbon (500g) $8 R 376

Total $64 R 3015

Table 13.1

Page | - 37 -

13.2 RUNNING COSTS

As sand is readily available in almost every country around the world and most

certainly in India then the only running cost of this design is activated carbon. This

can be made at home but involves an intricate process and use of other chemicals

that are not so readily available in Devikulam. It is easier to buy the carbon than

make it. As only small amounts of activated carbon are required in the filter and that

amount of carbon can last up to 6 weeks and ever longer if rinsed properly, this

makes the running cost low. Activated carbon can be purchased in India in lots of

2kg for roughly $16 Australian dollars. This would be enough carbon to use in the

filter for around 2 years. So the only running cost for the filter would be roughly $8

per year or 376 rupees.

13.3 COST ANALYSIS EVALUTION

The overall running costs for this system are very cost effective for the residents of

Devikulam as it is only roughly 376 rupees or 8 Australian dollars a year. The overall

cost of the system is just over 3000 Rupees or 64 Australian dollars. This is

extremely cost effective in comparison to the amount of lives it could possibly save

from the threat of E.coli, coliforms and other bacteria in the water.

14.0 CONCLUSION

It has been a real eye opener for team E4 to be able to compete in the 2011 EWB

challenge. Many things have been learnt over the course of the semester. It has

been a great experience and extremely gratifying to be given the opportunity to

submit this report and know that it could one day have a real world application and

help improves the quality of life for the people in Devikulam

Page | - 38 -

15.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

E4 project team would like to thank the following individuals:

Peter Frith of Frithys Rural and Paul from Banner Hardware for discounted parts and

advice throughout the length of the project.

Vicki and Andy Kirss for allowing the use of tools and facilities for construction.

Kate Deller-Evans and Anh Tran from Flinders University for their time, patience and

advice.

Greg Hanson of Aqua Sun International for technical assistance.

EWB and their major sponsors BHP Billiton for giving E4 the opportunity to

participate in this challenge

Page | - 39 -

16.0 Table of Figures

Figures Page Number

Fig 1.1 - Location of Devikulam 1

Fig 1.2 - Devikulam poverty statistics 2

Fig 2.1 - E4 decision matrix 3

Fig 3.1 - Devikulam water infrastructure map 4

Fig 4.1 - Activated carbon pore 7

Fig 4.2 - Sand Filter 8

Fig 4.3 - Ultraviolet light purification system 10

Fig 4.4 - SODIS implementation instructions 11

Fig 4.5 - Copper purification test results 15

Fig 7.1 E4 decision tree 19

Fig 7.2 1st project design 20

Fig 7.3 2nd project design 21

Fig 7.4 3rd project design 22

Fig 7.5 Schematics of final design 23

Fig 7.6 Side view of final design 24

Fig 7.7 Top view of final design 24

Fig 7.8 Bottom view of final design 24

Fig 7.9 Layout of filter system 26

Fig 7.10 The completed Filter 26

Fig A.1 Bore test 1 from Devikulam 39

Fig A.2 Bore Test 2 from Devikulam 40

Tables

Table 13.1 Cost description of project 35

Page | - 40 -

APPENIDIX 1

Bore Test 1

Fig A.1

Page | - 41 -

APPENIDIX 1A

Bore test 2

Fig A.2

Page | - 42 -

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