PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR ENABLING RURAL COMMUNITIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER USING BIOSAND FILTERS
[ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER (ACWA) PROJECT]
1.0 Background:
Technology of the Biosand filter for household level water treatment has been developed by a Canadian charity named 'Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology' (CAWST). The biosand filter has so far been promoted in more than 40 countries to provide clean and safe drinking water to nearly one million people. More information on CAWST is available on their website
This low cost filter made with a concrete box and a sand filter- media works well to treat water at the point of use by removing 98% bacteria, more than 80% viruses and, 100% protozoa and helminths. It also removes turbidity and chemicals such as iron, manganese and arsenic etc. to a certain level. Factors such as its low cost, ease with which it can be made with local materials and skills, and the ease with which it can be maintained, make it very appropriate for rural level household water treatment in Sri Lanka too.
In November 2006, Mr. Bryan Fofonoff , International Technical Advisor of CAWST visited Sri Lanka on the invitation of MA-International and conducted a Biosand Filter Project Implementers Workshop over a five day period at the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) at Kaluthara. Twenty five participants trained in this workshop included Medical Officers of Health (MOOH), Public Health Tutors and Public Health Inspectors (PHII).
In a pilot project initiated subsequently by the PHI of Gamagoda area , filters are now in use in 30 households, and those householders seem to be extremely satisfied with the performance of their filters as they can now drink clean water instead of contaminated water which they were forced to drink earlier.
Mr. Fofonoff was in Sri Lanka once again in May 2007 and conducted three workshops at NIHS in collaboration with MA-International to over 70 PHII from Matara, Galle, Kaluthara and Rathnapura Districts and one more workshop to 35 Engineers and Technical Officers of the Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP) representing a number of districts.
What transpired at the project planning sessions at the workshops was interesting. It was revealed that serious water contamination problems existed in majority of PHI areas and the CWSSP water schemes for which no solutions have been found so far. The participants saw the biosand filter as the only solution that they can easily adopt to provide the affected communities with access to clean and safe water. Some PHII have even made arrangements already to commence building filters using the few molds made available by CAWST for the workshops.
2.0 Overall Objective
Overall objective of the project is to improve the health of the rural communities including those affected by the recent Tsunami, by providing them access to clean and safe drinking water, thereby enabling them to contribute more towards the country's development and production activities.
3.0 Project Purpose:
To facilitate access to clean drinking water for the rural communities by the acquisition of 1000 biosand filters by them in the district of Rathnapura in the year 2007/2008.
4.0 Situational Analysis:
As a representative sample of the situation with the drinking water sources in the districts, the statistics (approx. figures) for Matara district, conveyed to us by the Senior PHI (District), are tabled below.
Total No. of households in Matara district - 144,000
No. of households provided with pipe borne water - 45,000
No. of protected wells- 50,000
No. of unprotected wells- 35,000
Other sources such as tube wells - 14,000
Total- 144,000
Several recent studies carried out using the test results of water samples obtained from wells in Matara and Galle districts have shown that more than 90% of the tested wells were contaminated.
As such, with the removal efficiency of 98% of bacteria, more than 80% of viruses, 100% protozoa and helminths, the biosand filter will benefit at least the 35,000 households served by the unprotected wells in Matara district.
Though detailed information of this nature is not available with us for Ratnapura district, it is learnt from the PHII who participated at the workshops that a similar situation prevails there too.