Drinking water treatment by multistage filtration on a household scale: Efficiency and challenges

Universalising actions aimed at water supply in rural communities and indigenous populations must focus on simple and low-cost technologies adapted to the local context. In this setting, this research studied the dynamic gravel filter (DGF) as a pre-treatment to household slow-sand filters (HSSFs),...

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Published in:Water research (Oxford) 2020-07, Vol.178, p.115816-115816, Article 115816
Main Authors: Medeiros, R.C., de M. N. Fava, N., Freitas, B.L.S., Sabogal-Paz, L.P., Hoffmann, M.T., Davis, J., Fernandez-Ibañez, P., Byrne, J.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidium
Drinking Water
Escherichia coli
Filtration
Low-cost technology
Protozoa
Slow sand filtration
Water Purification
Water Supply
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Summary:Universalising actions aimed at water supply in rural communities and indigenous populations must focus on simple and low-cost technologies adapted to the local context. In this setting, this research studied the dynamic gravel filter (DGF) as a pre-treatment to household slow-sand filters (HSSFs), which is the first description of a household multistage filtration scale to treat drinking water. DGFs (with and without a non-woven blanket on top of the gravel layer) followed by HSSFs were tested. DGFs operated with a filtration rate of 3.21 m3 m−2.d−1 and HSSFs with 1.52 m3 m−2.d−1. Influent water contained kaolinite, humic acid and suspension of coliforms and protozoa. Physical-chemical parameters were evaluated, as well as Escherichia coli, Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocyst reductions. Removal was low (up to 6.6%) concerning true colour, total organic carbon and absorbance (λ = 254 nm). Nevertheless, HMSFs showed turbidity decrease above 60%, E. coli reduction up to 1.78 log, Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts reductions up to 3.15 log and 2.24 log, respectively. The non-woven blanket was shown as an important physical barrier to remove solids, E. coli and protozoa. [Display omitted] •Household Multistage Filter removed over 60% of turbidity and 1.5 log of E. coli.•Dynamic Gravel Filter was an effective pre-treatment for household slow-sand filter.•Blanket improved the filtered water in gravel filter and household slow-sand filter.•Household Multistage Filter achieved more than 3 log of Giardia cyst reduction.•Household Multistage Filter obtained more than 2 log of Cryptosporidium oocyst reduction.
ISSN:0043-1354
1879-2448
DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2020.115816