Venezuela: Government to install 125 solar powered potable water plants

Venezuela’s Fundelec, a foundation under supervision of the energy and oil ministry, which promotes nationwide electrification, is carrying out a programme to install solar powered potable water plants. A total of 60 plants (125 are planned) have already been installed, benefiting 59 communities and 14,820 inhabitants. The water plants are aimed at indigenous and isolated communities, as well as those located near international borders.

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 17 Jun 2008

Communal Water House: demonstration unit unveiled in South Africa

On 4 July 2008, Science and Technology Deputy Minister, Derek Hanekom unveiled the first ever Communal Water House in South Africa in the village of Jansenville in the Eastern Cape.

The demonstration unit comprises technologies for water and solar energy use as well as low-water consumption sanitation methods. [...]. It allows residents to use potable water for drinking and cooking, and to apply grey water recycling to re-use the water for laundry, sanitation and irrigation. [...] Water use is further improved as heating is done via solar panels.

There are plans to roll out the service to between 200 to 800 people in other municipalities.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has invested R21 million in the project.

The project web site mentions that “water use efficiency is by 2-3 times higher than in conventional systems. Therefore, much more people can be serviced by the same amount of water. Energy need is by 100.000 kWh per year lower. Solar energy is used instead of fossil fuels. Therefore, no connection to centralized electricity supply is necessary. Climate effect is equal to 30 tons of carbon dioxide equivalentsper year per unit and therefore contributes to climate improvement measures”.

Source: Nthambeleni Gabara, BuaNews / allAfrica.com, 04 July 2008 ; Communal Water House web site

Arsenic detection: UNICEF Bangladesh purchases 50 “digital arsenators”

Digital Arsenator / Wagtech

So far only half of the 10 million tubewells in Bangladesh have been tested for arsenic, according to UNICEF water and sanitation specialist, Rick Johnston. “The only way to test so many wells in such a short time is through field testing kits”, Johnston said. For this purpose UNICEF Bangladesh has purchased 50 “digital arsenators” to be used in collaboration with the government and NGO partners. Besides delivering fast results, this portable field testing kit is seen to be accurate, easy to use, and environmentally friendly.

Source: IRIN, 09 Jul 2008

Ceramic filters: 10,000 units distributed to tsunami victims in Sri Lanka

Since January 2007, the American Red Cross (ARC) has distributed some 10,000 ceramic water filters, benefiting 50,000 people in Sri Lanka, principally to survivors of the December 2004 tsunami.

“The water filter was first mass-produced in Nicaragua and used in emergency relief operations. It is essentially a clay pot fortified with ground paddy husk and coated with colloidal silver that strains out virtually all harmful bacteria and parasites”.

During follow-up visits, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) carries out bacteriological water quality tests of the filtered water.

“The clay filter, which holds eight litres of water, is encased in a plastic receptacle with a tap at its base”.

“With one manufacturing plant turning out some 1,000 clay filters a month, the ARC is gearing up to increase production by contracting another pottery factory to produce double the number.

So far, ARC has distributed the water filters for free, but intends to make them available at an affordable price to wholesale or retail buyers.

The filter, based on ancient water-purifying technology, was first mass-produced by the NGO, Potters for Peace, in 1998 for people affected by Hurricane Mitch. More than 30,000 beneficiaries in Central America, West Africa and South and Southeast Asia now use the filter”.

Source: IRIN, 01 Jul 2008

Solar water disinfection: CREPA promoting SODIS in Benin, government has doubts

“The government of Benin aims to dramatically increase the percentage of Beninese who can access drinking water by 2015 and one organisation, the Regional Centre for Water and Sanitation (CREPA) hopes to close the gap with a simple solution requiring little more than sunshine and a plastic bottle.

Developed by [SANDEC at]  the Swiss Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG), the method, called solar water disinfection, or SODIS, uses the sun’s UV-A rays and heat to decontaminate water. So far, up to two million people in 20 countries have used it, though Benin is one of the few West African countries to trial the method”.

[...]

“Despite its benefits, SODIS officials at the Benin Water Board (SONEB) say they have not yet agreed to promote SODIS as an official strategy and will not openly state whether or not this will change.

“SODIS is advised only in cases where there is no drinking water. Where there is a good supply of drinking water, there is no problem,” said one source close to the Beninese Ministry of Water who requested anonymity.

SODIS will not work without the right conditions in place. “Carefully washed bottles and clean hands are vital requirements,” said Adissoda. This involves high hygiene awareness levels, and public information campaigns can cost up to US$2 per person, she added.

The water itself cannot be too dirty in the first place – if it is too cloudy it might resist the sun’s rays. Finally, though cheap, plastic bottles are not always plentiful in rural areas. However, the most vital ingredient – sunshine – is abundant in countries such as Benin”.

See also: SODIS Africa Net

Read more: IRIN, 10 Jul 2008

South Africa – Ecotoilets worm their way into many hearts

NON–FLUSH, totally organic and self-emptying portable toilets which make use of hungry earthworms are being made in Knysna.

Knysna entrepreneur Adrian Wilson-Forbes said two test toilets at the Pezula resort had been operating successfully for the past seven months without any need for servicing.

This self-sustaining ecosystem houses earthworms in so-called worm houses made from recycled plastic in a container below the toilet bowl. The worms gobble up the solid waste and recycle it to produce compost.

Wilson-Forbes said: “The solids sit on top and are digested by the earthworms, which multiply or decrease in number according to the amount of food available.

Read More: Herald Online, 8 Jul 2008

Impacts of a participatory approach to assess sustainable sewage treatment technologies for urban fringe of Surat city in India

Vashi, A. N. and Shah, N. C. (2008). Impacts of a participatory approach to assess sustainable sewage treatment technologies for urban fringe of Surat city in India
Water science & technology-WST ; vol. 57, no. 12 ; p. 1957-1962. doi:10.2166/wst.2008.331

Abstract

This paper describes the assessment of the sustainability of a number of different sewage treatment technologies by means of a multi-criteria, participatory method for a scattered settlement of urban fringe of Surat. The special efforts have been made for the broad participation to achieve stronger democracy, better quality of the end product, and a more effective process. The mere participation of technocrats and bureaucrats certainly lead to the greater efficiency in working methods. However, the ultimate goal of sustainable developments of such technologies could not be reached in absence of democratic participation and social learning. Keeping this important aspect in view for assessment of sustainability, the detailed study was conducted in the presence of policy makers and stakeholders, academicians, technical experts, finance managers and NGO, to find out sustainability criteria and indicators for three different sewage treatment technologies: (A) Conventional Activated Sludge Process (B) Extended Aeration System, and (C) Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor followed by Aerated Lagoon and Polishing Pond. Technologies were compared according to four criteria subdivided into twenty operational indicators. Criteria and indicators were evaluated as in a weighted-scale matrix. In India, sustainability criteria used in this type of comparisons are often restricted to a limited set of environmental impacts and financial costs but in this study additional criteria were evaluated including economic, social, and technical aspects. Based on the values assigned by the panel, the Sustainability Index (SI) was calculated for each technology. According to the SI and a predefined scale, sustainability was medium for options A and B, whereas high for option C. The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for the selection of a particular technology based on a rational and democratic assessment of its contribution to sustainability in the local and global context.