WATER TREATMENT TECHNIQUES AT

LOW COST

Carlos Augusto Guerrero

Nicolas García Varón
2019
 WATER POTABILIZATION

It is the set of processes that are carried out on raw water in order to modify its
characteristics to make it suitable for human consumption (Resolution 2115,
2007).

 Physical.
 Chemical.
 Microbiological.

Image taken by the virtual magazine: the vanguard.

 PROBLEMATIC

Currently, water is one of the natural resources most affected by anthropogenic

pressures, which has led to an environmental and sanitary crisis, since each time
our water sources are more polluted and with less quality, which makes it a factor of
risk for the rural or low-income population that does not have potable water and
basic sanitation services.

3 out of 10 people, or 2100 million people, lack

access to safe drinking water and available at
home (World Health Organization, 2017)

Image taken by Google photos.

TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY ACCORDING
TO THE POPULATION TO SATISFY

• Individual solutions.

• Solutions for small communities.

• Solutions for large communities.

 INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS

PERSONAL WATER
FILTERS
• Many personal filters are used
to obtain drinking water on a
small scale but not all have the
same degree of efficiency

https://www.lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-steel
 INDIVIDUAL SOLUTION

DESINFECTION OF WATER
BY HEAT SUPPLY (BOILED
WATER)
This technique will kill and inactivate
the most common water-borne
pathogens (bacteria, spores, viruses,
cercariae and cysts) at water
temperatures of 90 to 100 °C for a short
time.
 SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES OR INDIVIDUAL.

SOLAR
DISINFECTION
(SODIS)

Solution that does not

require economic cost
and which is very
practical and easy to
implement

Image taken from electronic article, sodis foundation for Latin America,
https://www.sodis.ch/methode/anwendung/ausbildungsmaterial/dokumente_
material/manual_s.pdf
Images taken from Google SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL COMMUNITIES
photos

Images taken from Google photos

TREATMENT AND DISINFECTION OF

WATER BY MEANS OF SODIUM
HYPOCHLORITE (LIQUID CHLORINE)

It is effective in waters with (one

Nephelometric and turbidity unit or less) and
a pH less than 8. It is effective against
bacteria and ineffective against viruses.
 Amount of
chlorine
required
according to
the volume
of water to
be treated at
home

Table 1. Amount of chlorine required per

volume of water.
Disinfection of water with
ultra violet light

• UV light prevents microorganisms from

reproducing by damaging their nucleic
acids

• UV disinfection is not a chemical process

and does not produce any waste
https://www.trojanuv.com/es/uv-basics
 SOLUTIONS FOR LARGE COMMUNITIES

FILTERING IN MULTIPLE STAGES (FiME)

It consists of the combination of coarse filtration processes in gravel as
pretreatment of solids and slow sand filters as the main treatment.

This technology must be preceded

by a detailed process of:

 Technical analysis.
 Social.
 Local capacity for construction
and operation of the plant.
 SOLUTIONS FOR LARGE COMMUNITIES
Dynamic coarse filter

PRETREATMENT

Coarse filter
https://es.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/top15_mfs_s.pdf

https://es.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/top15_mfs_s.pdf
 SOLUTIONS FOR LARGE COMMUNITIES

TREATMENT

FINAL DISIFECTION

https://es.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/top15_mfs_s.pdf

https://www.lavanguardia.com/vivo/salud/20160518/4018712694
00/cuantos-litros-agua-beber-dia.html
 • The growing number of diseases associated with the
consumption of poor quality water or water without
treatment, especially in rural areas, has increased in recent
years the need to implement water treatment techniques
which has been reflected in the health of people in these
conclusion areas and in the good quality of life. Currently, there are
already many strategies available to people to obtain water
with some type of treatment and people have easily adapted
their implementation and operation.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Latina, f. s. (1 de junio de 2003). sodis. Obtenido de

https://www.sodis.ch/methode/anwendung/ausbildungsmaterial/dokumente_material/manual_s.pdf

 Reiff , F., & Witt, V. (01 de mayo de 1993). ministerio de salud y salud, dirección de salud ambiental del
Salvador . Obtenido de
http://usam.salud.gob.sv/archivos/pdf/agua/Desinfeccion_Agua_Casero_Zonas_%20Urbanas_%20Marginales_
Rurales.pdf
 Organizacion Mundial de la Salud. (12 de Julio de 2017). Recuperado el 23 de Marzo de 2019, de
https://www.who.int/es/news-room/detail/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-
more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation
 Salud, O. P. (2005). GUÍA PARA DISEÑO DE SISTEMAS DE TRATAMIENTO DE FILTRACIÓN EN MÚLTIPLES ETAPAS.
Lima.
 Sánchez, L. D., Sánchez, A., & Latorre, G. G. (2007). Filtración en múltiples etapas. Holanda: Cinara.