The goals of this project are:
1- To provide clean drinking water to the citizens of Carice, and Mont-Organizé and
2- To initiate Biosand filter programs in others boroughs of North East of Haiti via a partnership between FADEC (Capotille) and FHED, Inc (Carice, Mont-Organizeé). To do so, In connection with Rotary Club of Puerto Plata, we are sending to the Dominican Republic students (Cadres) to attend a two and a half days training of the Community Facilitators (CFs) courses involving Dominicans and Haitians leaders. CFs learn the theory of the filter, how to do recognize and resolve the problems which may arise.
BIOS AND WATER FILTER PROJECT
The Biosand filter, when used properly, can remove 95-97 % of viruses and bacteria and 100% of protozans (giardi, cryptosporidium, amoebaes) and worms (tapeworm etc). It was invented by Dr David Manz of Calgary, Canada.
How does the Bio Sand Filter work?
The filter is made of concrete. Inside is a long column of sand which traps and absorbs the disease-causing organisms. On top of the sand, when the filter is at rest, sits two inches of water. This water promotes the growth of a biological layer on the top of the sand, and the biolayer also absorbs and ingests the organisms in a complex cycle.
Sand filtration technology is not new, but the beauty of the BioSand filter is that it does not require electricity to keep the level of water stable on top of the sand, and it can be operated intermittently. There are no moving parts, nor parts requiring replacement. Maintenance is a simple 5 minute procedure using one finger to desludge the biological layer when it gets thick enough to slow the flow down to trickle.
With this minimal maintenance, a Biosand filter can work effectively for over 20 years. By educating people in proper filter use, they can take proactive steps to prevent the spread of diseases which give them control over their own health.
SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
The filter itself is simply a concrete container, about 1 meter in height and roughly 1/3 meter is diameter, which holds layers of sand and gravel.
Water is poured into the top of the filter, where a diffuser plate placed above the sand bed, dissipates the initial force of the water. Traveling slowly through the sand bed, the water than passes through several layers and collects in a pipe at the base of the filter. At this point, the water is propelled through plastic piping encased in the concrete and out of the filter, for the user to collect in a clean water container.
The filter works using a combination of biological and mechanical processes. The microbes which need to be removed are trapped at or very close to the surface of the sand, forming a biological layer. This biological layer matures over one to four weeks, depending on volume of water put through the filter and the amount of nutrients and micro-organisms in the water. Viruses are absorbed or become attached to the sand grains and after some time die or are changed by the other microbes in the filter. Sediments, cysts and worms are removed from the water by becoming trapped in the spaces between the sand grains
There is layer of water which is maintained above the biological layer at all times to allow for intermittent use of this filter. The filter, when being used to most effectively remove containments, can at it’s maximum flow rate treat 36 liters of water per hour.
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