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: Sylvana.Li@fas.usda.gov), Matt Murphy, and David Gallagher (both Development Resources Specialists - USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, emails:
Matt.Murphy@fas.usda.gov, David.Gallagher@fas.usda.gov), George Hernandez (Forester - USDA Forest Service, email: George.Hernandez@usda.gov), and Jon Fripp (Civil Engineer -
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, email: Jon.Fripp@ftw.usda.gov). 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
Why do we filter water?
• For drinking
• For irrigation
 Types of
Pollutants
• Pathogens

Where do they come from?

Why do we care?
 Types of Pollutants

• Chemical

Where do they come from?

Why do we care?
 Types of Pollutants

• Salt

Where does it come from?

Why do we care?
 Types of Pollutants
• Dirt
• Odor
• Taste

Where does it come from?

Why do we care?
 Municipal Treatment
most includes these steps

Water Source

Settlement / sedimentation

Filtration

Disinfection
(chemical
treatment)

Water Supply
Modified from Robert A. Perdue Water Treatment Plant
 Municipal Treatment
•Can Provide Large Quantities of Safe Water
•Often Big Operations
•Expensive
•Training Required to Operate
 Treatment Plants Can Be Small
This one treats water
from a small pond
for a residence

Photos from Jerry Bernard

This system treats and packages water for a school

 Low Cost Treatments
• Boiling
• Chemical
• UV/Solar
• Distillation
• Filtration
• Biological Filtration

Water treated with any of these

may need additional treatment!
 Boiling

•Boil water for 10 minutes

•Boiling will kill most
pathogens
•Does not remove salt
•Does not remove
sediments
•Does not remove most
chemicals
•Does not help with much
improvement of taste or
smell
Chemical

•Can be added directly to

the water
•It will kill most pathogens
•Leaves a smell
•Does not remove salts
•Does not remove
sediments
•Does not remove most
chemicals
•Chlorine Bleach
•Chlorine Powder
•Chlorine Tablets These chemicals can
•Chlorine Liquid be dangerous!
•Granular Calcium Hypochlorite
•Iodine
 •Can use bleach
Chemical for 1%: use 10 drops/liter
for 2-6%: use 2 drops/liter
for 7-10% use 1 drop/liter
•Double the dose if the water is
cloudy

one cap of Clorox for every 2

gallons (7.5 liter) of water.
•Do not use too much
•Use Regular Clorox Bleach
•Do not use bleach with fabric
softener or other additives
 •Mix the treated water. Allow
the treated water to settle for
30 minutes.

•Smell the water. The treated

water should have a slight bleach
odor. If it does not have an odor,
repeat the treatment.
•Taste a little of the treated water.
If it has a strong taste of chlorine,
spit the water out. Allow the
container of treated water to sit
uncovered for another 30 minutes
or pour the water back and forth
between two clean containers.
Chemical
Question:
Using a 5.8% chlorine
How many drops to purify water in
a two liter bottle?

Answer:
2 liters x 2 drops per liter = 4
drops

Remember to mix it and allow it to

settle

Do not use too much

for 1%: use 10 drops/liter
for 2-6%: use 2 drops/liter
for 7-10% use 1 drop/liter
UV/Solar
•Paint ½ bottle black
•Leave in sun for 6 hours
•Exposes water to
ultraviolet rays from sun
•Raises temperature
•Kills some pathogens
•Does not remove salt
•Does not remove
sediments
•Does not remove
chemicals
•Does not help with much
improvement of taste or
smell
 •Boiling produces water vapor which leaves
Distillation behind pollutants
•Water vapor is allowed to cool and turn
back into water

Water into Cool water turns

vapor water vapor into
liquid

Boils water

•Kills most pathogens

Heat
•Removes salt
•Removes sediments
•Removes many chemicals
•Can help with improvement
of taste or smell
 Distillation
Can use distill
water on a stove

Stove Top Distillation

1. Put the dirty water in the pot
2. Place a collection cup in the
pot
3. Clean the lid and turn it
upside down
4. Boil the water
5. The water condenses on the
lid of the pot and falls into
the collection cup.
 Distillation

Stove Top Distillation

•Food coloring was
placed in the water to
represent pollutants
•Notice the water in the
collection cup is clear

Slow and takes energy

 Distillation
Solar Distillation
Can use the sun to distill water

SolAqua Model 550 Rainmaker

Photo from Jeff Wheaton

 Distillation
Solar Distillation
1. The sun heats the water
2. The water evaporates
3. The water condenses on the glass
4. The water runs down to the
collection tray

Only pure water rises to the top

 Distillation

Solar Distillation
Must have a sunny day

•Very slow
•Can take a few hours
to get a small amount
Solar Distillation Distillation
•In the summer, about
8 square feet of glass
will produce 1 gallon
per day
•About half in the
winter.
•May need several
units
 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
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
 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
 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
 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
 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
 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
•You will need to periodically scrape
Do not drink it!
away this layer and clean the sand
 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
•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
 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
 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
 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
 Filtration
Construction of a
slow sand filter

Can use different

materials to make a
slow sand filter
Clay pots
are good
Construction
Steps
 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!
Test Time
•What Pollutants might be here?
•If we wanted to use this water for
drip irrigation, what filtration
would be useful?

Answer: for sediment/ dirty

water use a cloth filter or a
fast sand filter
Test Time
•What Pollutants might be here?
•If we wanted to use this water
for drip irrigation, what filtration
would be useful?

Answer: for sediment/ dirty

water use a cloth filter or a
fast sand filter
Test Time
•What Pollutants might be here?
•If we wanted to use this water
for drinking, what filtration would
be useful?

Answer: for sediment/ dirty water and for

pathogens, use
•A fast sand filter then a slow sand filter
•Fast sand then chlorine
•Fast sand then boiling.
•Fast sand then distillation
….all may need additional treatment
Test Time
•What Pollutants might be here?
•Could we use this water for
drinking?

Answer: This water is probably contaminated

with pathogens, chemical and other pollutants.
It can probably not be safely treated with the
techniques we discussed.
Test the water!
•Indicator tests
•Rapid – quick results
•Simple
•Detailed tests
•More precise
•Required more expertise and
time
Do not recontaminate filtered or
disinfected water
• Make sure you use clean containers that
have not been used to store chemicals
• Store water carefully
• Use tops on containers
• Monitor distribution
Clean Water has a lot of good uses

The End