<aside> <img src="/icons/apple_blue.svg" alt="/icons/apple_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Describe your product OWSD Myanmar National Chapter and Sphere Eco-Friendly Agri Firm develop and prototype low-cost water purification systems that are easy for local communities to assemble and maintain.
A low-cost water purification system (or) RS filter (R: rice husk charcoal; S: sand) is a particular water purification system or filter. It is an adaptation of the traditional sand filter used for community water purification for almost 200 years. The RS filter is compact and suitable for intermediate use, making it most appropriate for a household of 5 people. Particularly the filter container can be made of concrete, however, it can also be made from molded plastic or can be installed with plastic buckets.
Many types of filters are designed over time for surface water purification. However, the cost and filtration effectiveness still need to be satisfactory and further improvement is necessary. Among the filters, low-cost and slow traditional sand filtration technology is promising and has attention to its ability to remove microbial contamination of water. It can remove most of the turbidity as well as most of the pathogens from contaminated water viz. all the protozoa and worms, 98% of bacteria, and more than 70% of viruses. Rice husk is an agricultural byproduct, an inexpensive and abundant material in rural areas of Myanmar such as the Ayeyarwady Delta. The rice husk charcoal could be utilized as the best adsorbent for removing various pollutants (dyes, phenols, pesticide residues, and heavy metals) from water and wastewater. The RS filter is a modification of a traditional sand filter with rice husk charcoal to get clear and healthy drinking water for rural people at an affordable price.
The locally available materials will be used for the filters and those are large and small gravels, sand, and rice husk charcoal. The average diameter of large gravel is 12 mm and those of small gravel is 6 mm. Coarse sand or stone sand (constructional use) is used for the major portion of the filtration system. Rice husks are carbonated and they become rich in fixed carbon, like activated charcoal that has the capacity to purity water. It is locally available and easy to produce. Before installation, the filter materials should be washed or rinsed in water and decant to remove organic material, salt, and any debris that can disturb the filtration system.
The RS filter can be made with 100% locally available materials and requires little maintenance over time. It is the most accessible, affordable, easy to use, maintain, and durable. The design is simple and it is necessary to start with a wood or metal mold. A mold can be used to create many RS filters. The required activities to make a mold and then the filters are very feasible, as well as simple carpenter and concrete work. The dimensions of an RS filter are described in the following diagram.
The filter container is made with concrete using a wood mold. An outlet pipe is installed before the filter materials are filled in the container. In the beginning, the lowest part is filled with larger gravels about 2 inches in layer. The larger gravels are called drainage gravel and it can help better drainage. Next, the small gravel known as separation gravel, is placed above the larger ones. The thickness of the layer of small gravel is also two inches. The layer of sand about 18 inches in thickness is laid on the layers of gravel and leveled the surface. At the top, rice husk charcoal is placed and pressed with a moderate force and made a layer of two inches. After installation of filter materials, put the water above the diffuser plate and collect the clear water from the outlet pipe.
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<aside> <img src="/icons/bullseye_green.svg" alt="/icons/bullseye_green.svg" width="40px" /> What you want to achieve by March 2025
<aside> <img src="/icons/brain_blue.svg" alt="/icons/brain_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Describe your target customers
The target customers are those who have difficulty accessing clean and safe drinking water in rural areas of the Ayeyarwady Delta. The drinking water in the project areas is collected from the river and earthen dam and contaminated with agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. Water-borne diseases and pollutants are also a major threat and endanger rural health. The purified drinking water may be available in the market of the nearest township but, the rural people cannot afford it for daily use due to their low income.
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<aside> <img src="/icons/emoji-disappointed_pink.svg" alt="/icons/emoji-disappointed_pink.svg" width="40px" /> What pain points are you trying to solve?
<aside> <img src="/icons/bell-notification_pink.svg" alt="/icons/bell-notification_pink.svg" width="40px" /> Describe the kinds of help you need the most (funding, expertise, technology, access, etc).
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