Broken filter piece, which shows the charcoal, which is produced in the inside of the filter during firing.
Agua Pure facility in Higüerito, Moca
Radhames Carela in the factory with drying filters
Current Agua Pure Filter
Saludos! (Heeeyyy!)
Here is another little diddy I wrote, in one of the most recent volunteer social justice publications. This is the version, before its been edited, so excuse typos. Enjoy!
Water, Water, Everywhere… The Story of a Small Sustainable Water Sanitation Project
Written by Kelly Connors
CED, Higüerito, Moca
Kelly studied business at the University Virginia and has no background in art, but was placed in the mecca for ceramic pottery in the country, and lived for 6 months at the below ceramic filter factory. She now has a vast knowledge of pottery and faceless dolls and aspires to be a starving artist or Secretary of State.
Potable water, such a gift that many people take for granted. In the first world countries, practically all water supplied to households, commerce, and industries is potable, meaning of high enough quality to consume with out any risk of long term harm. Only a very small percentage of this water is used for drinking and food preparation, and we take its availability for granted. On average the typical nonconserving single family home uses 69.3 gallons of water per capita per day. Now, for those of you that do not having running water or very sparing water like myself, you can see that this is quite a large number, and represents a lot of wasted drinking water. This is a sad story when large parts of the world have inadequate access to potable water and our forced to use water sources contaminated with diseases, pathogens, or unacceptable levels of dissolved chemicals or suspended solids. Throughout most of the world, the most common contamination of water sources is human sewage in particular human fecal pathogens and parasites. In 2006, waterborne diseases were estimated to cause 1.8 million deaths each year, while 1.1 billion people lacked proper drinking water. Over 90% of deaths from diarrheal diseases in the world today incur in children under 5 years old. In 2000-2003 769,000 children under 5 years old in Sub-Saharan Africa died each year from diarrheal disease. As a result of only 36% of the population in the Sub-Saharan region having access to proper means of sanitation, more than 2,000 children’s’ lives are lost every day. During the same period in developed countries, 700 children under the age of 5 died of diarrheal disease. Improved water supply reduces diarrhea morbidity by 25% and improvements in drinking water through proper storage in the home and chlorination reduces diarrhea episodes by 39% percent.
This daunting data of the access to clean water and its resulting affects on the health of a population has been recently brought to the attention of the international political arena. Under Goal 7 of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) signed in September 2000, is Target 7C: Halve the proportion of people without safe access to drinking water between 1990 and 2015. More recently, an historic vote was cast in the UN General Assembly on July 28, 2010 that clean drinking water and sanitation are fundamental rights. 122 countries supported the resolution and over 40 countries abstained from voting including the United States, Canada, and several of the European Union and other industrialized countries. No countries voted against the motion. Bolivia’s representative to the United Nations introduced the resolution to the UN General Assembly on July 28th. There had been no previous declarations of clean water as a fundamental right to all humans in the past.
The vote represents a changing attitude towards water a right we must cherish and fight for. Water is a something that many industrialized countries take for granted but in reality right now, we are a world running out of water. The World Bank has declared that demand will exceed supply of clean water by 40% in 20 years. This past June has been declared the hottest June in history. Global warming caused by green house gases is melting glaciers and ice patches, such as in the Great Lakes, which is causing more rapid evaporation, water is eroding and evaporating way too quickly and decreasing our water supply.
Conversely, the idea that water is a resource for our convenience and profit, leads us to act like there is no tomorrow with water. We move it all over the place. We take big pipes and move it from watersheds, which is maintaining a healthy rain cycle and hydrating vegetation, which retains water in our soil. We move water to grow crops where we shouldn’t in desserts. We move massive amounts of water to cities where they dump it after its used as trash into the ocean. We move trillions and trillions of water from land-based systems to the ocean every year. The UN declaration declares that the international community will not let large parts of the population fall behind as this crisis unfolds. The new priority will be given to these populations without clean water and sanitation.
And what about those countries that abstained from voting for the UN resolution, (cough) the U.S., excuse me I think I have gripe. The different countries have their different reasons. “We do not want to pay for the toilets in Arica,” was a direct quote from a Senior Diplomat from the U.K., which was published in a Canadian paper. Canada states that it does not want to share its water with the U.S., which is a non-issue since NAFTA declares water a commodity. New Zealand and Australia are privatizing water, and a large U.S. firm is buying much of the water rights in Australia. The U.S. also does not want to support water as a public right because they have also privatized it. The divide between supporters and abstainers seems to lie on the thought of water as a public or private item. The supporters view water as a public trust for the use of all and many abstainers are moving towards a market model, viewing water as a commodity with a price.
By declaring clean water as a human right, the UN is saying that no one should die from lack of water, and no one should watch their children die because of lack of clean water because they cannot pay. No matter where your views lie that water should be provided free as a public service or be managed through a market model, one idea is unanimous. We need to increase the world population’s access to clean water, to avoid billions of needless deaths.
During my service in the DR, I have been lucky enough to be exposed to one of the most innovative organizations working towards this goal of increasing the poor’s access to clean water. And here is the story of one of the most sustainable development projects I have seen first hand, in my short work in development. The organization’s name is Filter Pure and they are U.S. non–profit 501(c)3 and they work in developing countries to facilitate production of a ceramic water filter that eliminates turbidity and micro bacteria at a rate of 99.9%. The subsidiary in the Dominican Republic, works under the name Agua Pure. The facility in the Dominican Republic was begun in August 2006, with my host dad, Radhames Carela, as the head manager of production. In 6 months they were able to design their ceramic filter with almost perfect filtration (99.9%). There is also a Filter Pure facility that was started in Tanzania in 2007 and a project was begun in Haiti in 2010 after the horrible earthquake. Currently there are many proposals to start filter facilities in many developing countries, and Filter Pure is evaluating each proposal to decide where the next facility should be.
A BACKGROUND IN WATER FILTERS
Appropriate technology options in water treatment include both community-scale and household-scale point-of-use (POU) designs. Because of the high initial investments, many less wealthy nations cannot afford to develop or sustain appropriate infrastructure for community water purification systems and as a consequence people in these areas may pay a much higher percentage of their income on water. 2003 statistics from El Salvador, for example, indicate that the poorest 20% of households spend more than 10% of their total income on water. In the United Kingdom authorities define spending of more than 3% of one's income on water as a hardship.
The ceramic water filter by Agua Pure, is a point-of-use system (POU), meaning there is a filter in each house. The ability of POU options to reduce disease is a function of both their ability to remove microbial pathogens if properly applied and such social factors as ease of use and cultural appropriateness. The priority of the POU system is to reach large numbers of low-income households on a sustainable basis. Many may have not heard of these systems because they are a recent development in the last few years and no one organization has reached a grand scale of production, but that is the hope for Agua Pure. Some other POU systems are a similar ceramic filter made by Potters for Peace, which is mainly working in Central America. Also, sand-bio filters are a popular system in the Dominican Republic, but they require more permanent installation. The Agua Pure ceramic filter is placed in an easy to carry 5 gallon bucket, which requires no installation and weighing only 8 lbs. it can be easily moved from place to place.
WATER PURIFICATION
The technology is simple, appropriate, and, therefore, sustainable. A round-bottom ceramic pot is made from a mixture of clay, a combustible material, and colloidal silver that enables bacteriostasis (aka bacteria killing). Any agricultural waste such as sawdust, rice husks, and/or coffee husks can serve as a combustible material. After the clay and combustible have both been refined through a fine mesh, they are mixed together with a measured amount of silver and water until a homogeneous mixture is formed. The mixture is then made into a filter using a filter press. Afterwards it is fired to about 900 degrees Celsius to burn out the combustible material and leave behind micro pores coated with the silver to filter the water. The micro pore size has been measured at less than 1.3 microns, and this size allows the pores to filter out turbidity by trapping bacteria and parasites which will then come in contact with the silver coating the pores that will kills the bacteria as the water passes through the ceramic membrane. A ½ inch of charcoal is inserted in the membrane during the firing process, to add an extra element of filtration for removing things like taste and odor. The filter eliminates 99.9% of micro-bacteria at a flow rate of 1 drop per 1-4 minutes, or 1 to 2 liters of water per hour, depending on the amount of water in the filter.
*A new filter has been developed by Radhames that flows four times faster because of increased surface area for the water to filter through. This model is not currently being commercially sold.
CULTURAL SUSTAINIBILITY ENSURES SUCCESS
The filter is a successful product, not only because of its effectiveness of filtration but because of how the technology can be easily used in an appropriate cultural manner. The filter can be placed and moved anywhere. To use the filter one, just needs to pour water from any source (river, tap, rain water, etc.), into the filter, and the water flows through the filter into the bucket. Then the water can be just simply used through the tap at the bottom of the bucket.
To clean the filter, one just needs to lightly scrub the filter with clean water every week or two, if the water is flowing at a slower rate. Once every month or two, the ceramic membrane, should be submerged in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. And that’s it. The directions are both written and drawn on the filter bucket in the case of an illiterate user. If the filter is cleaned properly, it is recommended to last for 5 years, but in reality, should be good for life.
SUSTAINIBILITY OF PRODUCTION
One of the most sustainable aspects of the project is that the producers of these filters are not based in the U.S., but instead in the country where they are distributed. Lisa Ballantine, the president and founder of Filter Pure, spent two years in the Dominican Republic, searching for a ceramic artisan to help her start her first filter facility. She was directed to my host father Radhames because of his reputation for innovation in ceramics. Radhames Carela is a master ceramics artisan and has won many awards. He has traveled abroad to Europe for his expertise in ceramics and most recently his work has been displayed in Centro de Leon in Santiago, during the International Tile Exhibit. Together, Lisa and Radhames worked for six months with the prime materials to create the perfect formula and design for their water filter. Radhames is the lead engineer behind all production in the Dominican Republic. He has hired 5 employees from my community to help in all filter production. Over the last few years, production capacity has quadrupled. In 2006, the facility could produce 20 to 25 filters per day. Now, they can produce at an astonishing rate of 80 filters a day, partially due to the creation of a second filter press. Agua Pure has not only created the opportunity for Dominicans to have cheap access to clean water. Agua Pure has created a great opportunity for Radhames and his employees, to both increase their annual income, and work in a rewarding project, which is improving the health of their family and friends.
A RECIPE FOR A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT
Agua Pure has been a very successful project in the Dominican Republic, but one common misconception with development projects, is that one sustainable project can be multiplied anywhere. As Agua Pure and other POU systems develop in other countries, a few factors need to be taken into account to implement successful systems.
For 3 months, I had another Americana in my community, Clara, whom interned with Agua Pure and created a very wonderful manual of “How to Create A Filter Factory,” to be used for future filter factories for Filter Pure. While creating the manual we discussed certain aspects, which are essential when replicating a successful filter project.
First, is an ample and cost efficient supply of prime materials and equipment. There is a specific type of clay that needs to be used to make an effective filter. A filter facility needs to be placed adequately close to a clay mine of the correct type of clay. There also needs to be sufficient infrastructure, aka roads, and means of transportation to obtain the clay. For instance, the clay for Agua Pure’s filters is delivered by truck from the clay mine in Bonoa, about 1 hour away from the filter facility. Combustible materials are easier to come by, but their ease of supply should also be investigated. To my knowledge, colloidal silver is usually processed in industrialized nations, so the cost of importing should be taken into account. Lastly, the supply for adequate fuel for firing the stove should be analyzed. For example, in a country that is suffering from deforestation, you would not want to use wood as the primary fuel source, or electricity in a country with out a good power grid.
The cost and supply of other materials, such as those to make the equipment and stove, and the proper safety equipment, should be taken into account. These materials are just a one time cost, and are thus part of the initial investment, so their costs are less important to the overall sustainability.
After looking at supply of materials, there needs to be an analyzation of management and employees in the location. It is essential for the manager of the facility to have a good knowledge of ceramics, a strong work ethic, and a shared belief in the cause to offer clean water to the poor. Without a strong manager to run the facility and train able employees, the facility could be less successful because of lack of efficiency due to work ethic and motivation or general knowledge of ceramics. This is why there should be a thorough interview process, when examining filter facility locations.
Thirdly, there should be an adequate analysis of the market. Obviously, filter facilities should be put in countries where there is the most need for clean water. Also, there should be a substantial presence in the country of NGOs or non-profits, whom would act as buyers and distributers of the water filters to poor communities. Also, government support should be analyzed for clean water and sanitation efforts. The national or local government could be potential buyer, but if for instance the government is focused on creating the infrastructure for a community-based filtration system, then a POU system might not be needed in the near future. Other competition should be analyzed in the form of other POU systems or community-based filtration projects.
Lastly, the culture of the country must be taken into account. A plan for education of the importance of clean water and how to use the filter is essential. Also, the average income of the locals may want to be taken into account, if the filter will be sold directly to them.
Here, in the Dominican Republic, Agua Pure’s filters are sold around RD$700-RD$1,000 (around US $20-30). They are mainly sold to in-country non-profit’s or NGO’s such as Plan International, Save the Children, and Rotary International. In a few cases, filters have been given to poor families for free in a poor village in Jarabacoa called Bayacane, in-turn these families have been monitoring their health improvements and the condition of their filters over time.
CLEAN WATER FOR ALL: THE FUTURE FOR AGUA PURE
Currently, Agua Pure is creating an International School of Ceramic Water Filters, which will be located at the current DR Filter Facility, aka my host family’s house. They have already had a couple of groups of Americans come work during spring break to both volunteer and learn about Agua Pure’s water filter. One group of engineers from Texas A&M came over spring break 2010, and now have created their own ceramic filter facility in Texas to help serve the poor on the Texas/Mexico border. Yes, even in the U.S. there are people without clean water!
The vision for the school is to have the managers of future filter facilities trained at the school on both how to create a perfect water filter and how to build all the equipment and the stove for their facilities. The school will also be open to host many students and groups whom want to come to learn about water sanitation and ceramic filters. My host aunt has even been developing a micro-business of a large bed and breakfast to house incoming groups.
Agua Pure and other POU systems are right now just in their development stage. But the number of facilities and distribution will increase. I hope that the recent UN declaration of clean water and sanitation as a basic human right will influence world leaders to promote the cause of clean water. POU systems are developing the adequate technology but it is up to US to promote the necessity of clean water for the poor. It was noted that there was very few members of the press at the UN General Assembly to announce the declaration to the public. So many Americans have no knowledge of how the rest of the world lives. Educate your fellow Americans and help promote clean water for all!
More information about Agua Pure can be found by contacting Radhames Carela, Manager of Agua Pure Facility, at radhamescarela@hotmail.com, radhamescarela@gmail.com or Lisa Ballantine, President and Founder of Agua Pure, at lisaballantine@aol.com, info@filterpurefilters.org or you may go to the website at http://www.filterpurefilters.org/.
***Editorial note: Agua Pure sent 2,500 filters to Haiti after the horrible earthquake in 2010. They will continue servicing Haiti until the filter facility is up and running in northern Haiti.
Thanks for all whom donated to my artisan project! We filled the grant, and got the money so now I am going to work my butt off and try to get home on time. My official day to leave is Oct. 29!
