Wednesday, January 26, 2011

water filters



The problem: Lack of clean drinking water leading to disease and suffering
The majority of communities that AMOS serves suffer from contaminated water, which translates to a high prevalence of diarrheal disease and other water-borne illnesses.  Frequent sickness means that children miss many days at school, while also facing malnutrition and a host of other dangers.

The need: Clean water is an integral part of good health.
While the search for clean water is not new, it is a continual challenge to find solutions that are appropriate for each community.  For example, a well can provide potable water for hundreds of people who live in a centralized location, but this option will not work in a community where each house is separated by miles of rugged terrain. 

The methodReaching out to the most vulnerable people with home filters
AMOS has focused on point-of-use (POU) water filtration technology.  As the name implies, these filters are installed in houses where water is used rather than at the source.  One of the most promising POU filters is known as the biosand filter.  These filters mimic the natural geological filtration process by passing water through several layers of sand, gravel, and charcoal.  Most importantly, there is also a biological layer of bacteria that eliminates many of the smaller parasites, viruses, and pathogens that are not captured by conventional clay filters.

Developed by Dr. David Manz (CAWST - Canada), these filters have proven to be effective in a variety of environments, offering families 10 gallons of clean water per day for up to 10 years.  Other aid organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse have installed over 100,000 biosand filters throughout Africa and Latin America, with great success. 

Through a partnership with Aqua Clara Foundation, AMOS is working to bring biosand water filters to rural communities in Nicaragua.  The Aqua Clara variant of the biosand filter does not use concrete, since these slabs can be prone to breaking and are difficult to transport (each filter weighs 175 lbs).  Also, the construction process can take up to 10 days, raising the logistical cost significantly.  Instead, plastic garbage cans are used along with local materials.  The cost to build each filter – including community training, materials, and logistics – is about $50. 

Challenges of the biosand filter
Despite the incredible promise of this technology, it is not without some obstacles. 
·      The biosand filter does not eliminate all parasites and bacteria. 
·      Testing has revealed that, although there had been a 95% reduction in fecal coliforms, there were still some bacteria present in the purified water. For this reason, it is necessary to chlorinate water before consuming it. 
·      Water can become contaminated at various stages along the process.  If buckets become dirty or people put unclean hands in the water, contamination can occur.  Thus, proper education is one of the most crucial components in the successful implementation of this project.  

Evaluation and Monitoring for Impact: Making sure communities get clean water
AMOS is very intentional about testing the impact of the filter on the health of people living in rural communities.  We start with the people’s own perception of clean water, and then work with the community to see how we can evaluate and monitor the project together to assure that that everyone is getting clean drinking water. Community leaders are trained to test and monitor their water own sources as well as their water filters. Our methodology is systematic, scientific and evidence-based.  It’s about much more than simply installing a filter and walking away – our goal is to accompany the community and stand with them until everyone has clean water. 

Community empowerment: A project for the people and by the people
AMOS has been working to refine the sand filter assembly and testing process, with the goal of empowering communities to build, install and test their own filters. Ultimately, the biggest factor for success lies in the hands of the community members themselves.
·      Clean water must become a value
·      Good hygiene and safe water storage practices need to be taught and reinforced
·      Filters themselves must be well-cared for

Long term sustainability: Health and hope for all
AMOS is committed to offering a long-term solution that is holistic and effective.  We are working to address every stage in the process to improve health, from keeping water sources clean through the use of latrines, to filtration in homes, to hand washing & bacteria education to prevent recontamination.  It is a long journey, but the ultimate goal is to provide the most people with the cleanest water in the most efficient, effective way possible.  This is all part of the broader picture of providing health and hope for all.    

Sunday, January 9, 2011

new year

And we're back!  It's a new year and things are ramping up already.  We're excited to have a team from Washington State coming at the end of this week to help install water filters in the community of Sabalete in Matagalpa.