6/20/2011

Water Filtration
and
Disinfection

2009
21
This training was prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) team of Sylvana Li (Branch Chief, Rural Development and Natural Resources - USDA Foreign Agricultural
Service, email: [email protected]), Matt Murphy, and David Gallagher (both Development Resources Specialists - USDA Foreign Agricultural Service,
emails: [email protected], [email protected]), George Hernandez (Forester - USDA Forest Service, email: [email protected]), and Jon Fripp (Civil
Engineer - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, email: [email protected]). The USACE provided funding support for the USDA team.

• Why filter water

• Types of pollutants
• Types of filtration and disinfection
– Focus on low tech methods
– Fast sand filter and slow sand filter
• Test kits

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Filtration

Cloth Filter
1. Tie a cloth around
the lid of a jar or
bucket
2. Pour the dirty water
through the cloth
3. The cloth will catch
the larger dirt pieces

Filtration
Cloth Filter
• A good way to remove
large sediments
• Does not remove small
sediments
• May be good enough for
some sprinkler or drip
irrigation
• Does not kill pathogens
• Does not remove salt
• Does not remove
chemicals
• Does not help much with
improving taste or smell
It is often a good first step

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Filtration
Fast Sand Filter
1. Clean bucket or barrel
2. Fill with 20-40 cm of sand and
gravel in layers
3. The smaller material is on top
. . . and the larger material is at
. . . .. . .. . . .
.. . . .. the bottom
. . .. .. . ..... .
.
4. As water flows through the
. .
. .. . sand, the sediments catch
.
between the sand particles.
. .

Filtration
Fast Sand Filter
•A good way to remove sediments
•Does not kill pathogens
•Does not remove salt
•Does not remove chemicals
•Does not help much with improving taste or smell

• Simple
• Good for preparing water for
drip or sprinkler irrigation
• Often used as a pretreatment

We will now go through the

steps to build a fast sand filter

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Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

First – separate sand

and gravel with sieve

Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

Then wash the sand

and gravel in clean
water

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Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Select a clean bucket or barrel

•Drill a hole on the side at the
bottom
•Put a pipe or hose through the
hole – this is the outlet pipe
•This pipe or hose must have
many small holes in it

Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Seal the end of the outlet pipe or hose to

force the water through the small holes
•Seal around the hole in the bucket

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Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•You can wrap the

outlet pipe or hose
with fabric

Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Place a few
centimeters of small
rocks on the bottom,
covering the pipe
•Then place a layer of
small pebbles on the
rocks

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Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Place a few inches of

coarse sand on the
small pebbles
•Then place a 20-30
cm of finer sand on
top of that

Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Place a layer of the small rocks on

top
•Install the inlet pipe
•This pipe should also have holes.
•Cap the end of this pipe

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Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Pour the water through

inlet pipe
•It will go through the filter
•And out the outlet pipe

Filtration
Construction of a
fast sand filter

•Most of the sediments are collected

in the top layers
Do not drink it!
•You will need to periodically scrape
away this layer and clean the sand

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Filtration Water flows rapidly through the fast

sand filter – 2 to 5 meters per hour
Construction of a
fast sand filter

Question:
If we have a fast sand filter
that has a 30 cm diameter
opening.
How many liters of water can
be filtered in 1 hour?

Answer:
15cm x 15 cm x 3.14 = 729
square cm
729 square cm X 2 m/hr = 145.8
liters in one hour

Filtration

Slow Sand Filter

Also called a biologic sand filter
1. Clean bucket or barrel
2. Fill with 20-40 cm of sand and gravel
3. A pool of water is maintained in the
... , ..,…,.,.,,….,…….
. . . .
. . . .. bucket over the sand.
. . 4. A biologic layer of good microbes
forms on the top of the sand
5. As water flows through the sand,
. the good microbes eat the bad
. . microbes.
6. Also, sediments catch between the
sand particles and in the layer of
good microbes.

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Filtration
Slow Sand Filter
•Removes sediments
•Will kill many pathogens
•Does not remove salt
•Will remove some chemicals
•Will help some with improving taste
or smell
• Simple
• Slow – mainly for drinking water
• Some additional treatment may be
necessary
Photo from CMS
/Connor
• Used all over the world (Nicaragua,
Honduras, Mozambique. Nepal,
Cambodia, Kenya, Haiti, etc)

We will now go through the steps to build a slow sand filter

Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

•A slow sand filter is built very

similar to a fast sand filter.
•The big difference is that the
outlet pipe goes out of the top

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Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

•This keeps the good microbes

wet.
•They must not dry out
•Be sure that the outlet pipe is
5 to 10 cm above the sand
•It is also a good idea to use
finer sand in the upper layers
•Do not use dust – it may clog it

Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

•The dirty water must be gradually

put through the filters so to not
disturb the good microbes.
•In this example, it is done with
many small holes put in the lid.
•A small trickle of water brings air
to the microbes

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Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

•The good microbes are already

present in dirty water
•In 2 to 3 weeks, they will colonise
the upper few centimetres of the
sand and begin to eat the
pathogens
•New water must be added daily.
•This feeds the good microbes,
brings them air, and makes sure
they do not dry.

Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter Dirty water in

•Do not put chlorine in

the water that goes
into the filter – it may
kill the good microbes Clean water out
•But adding a little
chlorine to the outflow
water may be a good
idea

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Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

•Eventually, the water flow will

slow down
•The upper layer of sand will
be clogged with dirt and too
many good microbes
•Scoop out the top layer and
replace the sand
•Run water through the slow
sand filter for 2 to 3 weeks to
reintroduce the good microbes

Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

•Can be combined with a fast sand

filter to make two stage treatment.
•This will extend the life of the good
microbes by removing the larger
pieces of dirt

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Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

Can use different

materials to make a
slow sand filter
Clay pots
are good

Construction
Steps

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Filtration •It takes some time to filter water.

•Water slowly flows through the slow
Construction of a
sand filter - 10 to 20 cm per hour.
slow sand filter

Question:
If we have a slow sand filter
that has a 30 cm diameter
opening.
How many liters of water can
be filtered in 1 hour?

Answer:
15cm x 15 cm x 3.14 = 729
square cm
729 square cm X 10 cm/hr =
7.29 liters in one hour 1 gal = 3.78 liter
Photo from CAWST
1 in = 2.54 cm

Summary
Low Cost Treatments
Pollutant
Sediments Odour and
Method Pathogens Chemical Salt
/ dirt Taste
Boiling
Chlorine
UV/Solar
Distillation / still
Solar Still
Stovetop Distillation
Cloth Filter
Fast Sand Filter
Slow Sand Filter

Method is effective at removing many of these pollutants

Method provides some removal of pollutant
Method is not effective at removing pollutant

Water treated with any of these

may need additional treatment!

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Clean Water has a lot of good uses

The End

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