Sustainable Technology for Drinking Water in Rural Communities

Pedro Medelln Miln Universidad Autnoma de San Luis Potos Mxico

World World Water Water Forum Forum 4; 4; Mexico Mexico City, City, March March 19, 19, 2006 2006 Session Session FT3.19: FT3.19: Service Service Delivery Delivery and and Local Local Empowerment Empowerment Convener: Convener: Mexican Mexican Institute Institute of of Water Water Technology Technology Lead: Lead: Alvaro Alvaro Aldama Aldama Grant Grant SIHGO SIHGO // CONACyT CONACyT

Key issues
Most rural communities in Mexico do not have access to safe drinking water Present technologies are:
Costly Require chemicals frecuently not accesible Difficult to operate

During the dry season, Axhmol drinking water was extracted from small wells by the river UASLP academics developed a safe drinking water technology for Axhmol

Summary
Technology for safe drinking water from Amajac River, to supply the rural community of Axhmol is:
Simple to build and operate Stable Treatment media of natural local materials (subsoil, river stones and sand) Low Cost Does not require electric lines supply Or Chemicals

Rigorously tested:
Standard measurements Statistical tests

The plant is modular

So it can be scaled-up

Steps and equipment

Steps River water feeds an underground filtration gallery That pumps (solar powered) to an intermediate dosification tank That feeds by gravity a slow sand filter That discharges to a storage tank for drinking water. Equipment Comercial water storage tanks, piping, valves, a 1/20 Hp centrifugal pump, solar fotovoltaic panels, a truck battery and electric control panel. People can collect the water manually, as they used to, or it can be pumped.

Amajac River, Filtration Gallery

Regulation Tank

Slow Sand Filter Drinking Water

Results
Works continuously to provide 30 liters per person per day To Axhmol, a rural community of 1,500 in the municipality of Tamazunchale, SLP Aprox Costs:
Investment: US$ 5 per person Operating: US$ 2 per person per year (depreciation and maintenance)

Lessons learned
It is possible to supply safe drinking water to small, relatively isolated communities That complies with the Mexican Norm One community was capable to assist with labour in the construction of its plant, and to operate it Axhmol was chosen in terms of need and community organization, including formal leadership and community work It is possible to build the plant with parts from the local market and with local materials The plant is stable, low cost and easy to build, mantain and operate, with few outside resources and local materials

Key Messages
This experience is reproducible, but need active promoters and financial support Promoters may need to sustain the effort with a periodic follow-up to address technical or political difficulties Participation of government agencies and others may be crucial for wide spreading Some technical support in a nearby urban settlement is convienient, for example a technical school These plants may be more viable than conventional solutions

Statement: Delivery of Plant and Manual

Figura 3.17 No. m uestra vs Turbidez (poca de Lluvias)

3500 3000 2500 2000 1500
R. A.

Turbidez, NTU

1000 500 0

6 5 4
G. I.

Lmit e permisible, NOM -127-SSA1-1994

3 2 1 0
0 5 10 15

F. L. A.

20

25

30

* El nmero de muestra y fecha correspondiente a t abla 7

No. m uestra

3.18 No. m uestra vs pH (poca de Lluvias)

9

8.5

R. A.

pH 7.5

G. I. F. L. A.

6.5

L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994

6 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

* No. muest ra y fecha correspondiente en Tabla 6

N o . m ue s t ra *

Figura 3.23 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs pH

F echa d e muest r eo * 8.20 8.10 8.00 7.90 7.80 7.70 7.60 7.50 7.40 7.30 7.20 7.10
Precisin + 0.02

03/07/02 y = 0 .1 4 5 8 x 2 - 0 .8 2 2 5 x + 8 .6 6 8 3 07/07/02 08/07/02 14/07/02 15/07/02 16/07/02 Promedio Polinmica (Promedio)

*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5

RA

GI

FLA

RA R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin FLA Filt ro Lent o Arena

L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =6.5 - 8.5

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o

Figura 3.24 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Sulfatos, m g/L

70 60 50 40 30 16/07/02 20 Promedio 10 0
L mit e de Det eccin 1 mg/ L L mit e permisible NOM-127- SSA1-1994 =400 mg/ L

F echa d e muest r eo * y = 1 .6 6 6 7 x 2 - 1 6 x + 6 4 .3 3 3 03/07/02 07/07/02 08/07/02 14/07/02 15/07/02

Polinmica (Promedio) RA GI FLA

*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5 R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o

Figura 3.25 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Nitritos, m g/L

0.60 y = 0 .3 6 8 9 x -1.8686 F echa d e muest r eo * 03/ 07/02 07/ 07/02 08/ 07/02 0.40 14/ 07/02 0.30 15/ 07/02 16/ 07/02 Promedio 0.10 Pot encial (Promedio)
*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5

0.50

0.20

0.00 RA
L mit e de Det eccin 0.5 mg/ L L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =1.0 mg/ L

GI

FLA
R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Ar ena

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o

Figura 3.26 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Nitratos, m g/L

0.05 0.04 y = 0 .0 3 8 x - 0 . 8 4 4 1
03/ 07/ 02 07/ 07/ 02 08/ 07/ 02 14/ 07/ 02 15/ 07/ 02

Nitratos, m g/L

0.04 0.03 0.03 0.02

16/ 07/ 02

0.02
Promedio

0.01 0.01 0.00

L mit e de Det eccin 0.5 mg/ L Pot encial (Promedio) R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena *Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5

RA

GI

FLA

Posicin tren de tratam iento

L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =1.0 mg/ L

Figura 3.27 Posicin en tren de tratam iento vs Nitrgeno F echa Am oniacal, m g/L
1.40 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 y = 0 .7 3 3 9 x -1.4508

d e muest r eo *
03/ 07/ 02 07/ 07/ 02 08/ 07/ 02 14/ 07/ 02 15/ 07/ 02 16/ 07/ 02 Promedio

0.20 0.00
L mit e de Det eccin 1 mg/ L L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =0.5 mg/ L Pot encial (Promedio)

RA

GI

FLA

R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o
*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5

Figura 3.28 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Nitrgeno Total, m g/L

F echa d e muest r eo * 2.50
03/ 07/ 02

2.00

y = 1 . 3 2 4 9 x -1.407

07/ 07/ 02 08/ 07/ 02

1.50

14/ 07/ 02 15/ 07/ 02 16/ 07/ 02

1.00

0.50

Promedio Pot encial (Promedio)

0.00
L mit e de Det eccin 0.2 mg/ L L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =No Especif icado

RA

GI

FLA

R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o
*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5

Figura 3.29 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Microorganism os Mesoflicos Aerobios, UFC/100 m L F echa d e
700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 RA
L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =No Especif icado (N.E.)

muest r eo *
03/ 07/ 02 07/ 07/ 02 08/ 07/ 02 14/ 07/ 02 15/ 07/ 02 16/ 07/ 02 Promedio

*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5 R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena

GI

FLA

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o

3,000

Figura 3.30 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Coliform es Totales, F echa d e NMP/100 m L

muest r eo *
03/ 07/ 02

2,500 2,000

07/ 07/ 02 08/ 07/ 02 14/ 07/ 02

1,500
15/ 07/ 02

1,000

16/ 07/ 02 Promedio

500 N.D. 0 RA GI FLA N.D.

*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5 R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena

P o s ic i n t re n t ra t a m ie nt o
L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 =No Det ect able (N.D.)

Figura 3.31 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Coliform es Fecales, NMP/100 m L

10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 RA GI FLA N.D. N.D.

F echa d e muest r eo * 03/07/02 07/07/02 08/07/02 14/07/02 15/07/02 16/07/02 Promedio

*Tablas 1a, 2a, y 5 R A R o Amajac GI Galer a Inf ilt racin F L A Filt ro Lent o Arena

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o
L mit e permisible NOM-127-SSA1-1994 = No Det ect able (N.D.)

Figura 3.32 Posicin tren de tratam iento vs Turbidez, NTU

N o . muest r a* F echa
1 - 01/ 07/ 02 2 - 02/ 07/ 02 3 - 06/ 07/ 02 4 - 07/ 07/ 02

3500

3000

5 - 08/ 07/ 02 6 - 09/ 07/ 02 7 - 10/ 07/ 02

2500

8 - 16/ 07/ 02 9 - 18/ 07/ 02 10 - 19/ 07/ 02

2000

11 - 20/ 07/ 02 12 - 21/ 07/ 02 13 - 22/ 07/ 02

1500

14 - 23/ 07/ 02 15 - 24/ 07/ 02 16 - 25/ 07/ 02

1000

17 - 26/ 07/ 02 18 - 27/ 07/ 02 19 - 28/ 07/ 02

500 0.45 -2.46 NTU 0 Ro Amajac Galera de Infiltracin Filtro Lento Arena 0.17 -0.51 NTU

20 - 29/ 07/ 02 21 - 30/ 07/ 02 22- 31/ 07/ 02 23 - 01/ 08/ 02 24 - 02/ 08/ 02 25 - 04/ 08/ 02 26 - 23/ 08/ 02 Promedio

P o s ic i n t re n de t ra t a m ie nt o
Lmite permisible NOM -127-SSA1-1994 = 5 NTU * El nmero de muestra y las fechas corresponden a la tabla 7