The Water Filter Manual

Another key task for me at RDI is to finalise, publish and promote a manual for RDI’s Ceramic Water Filter Program – a project initiated and developed by 2 previous EWB volunteers – Nick Harley and David Pointing. It will be a great publication which once finalised will assist those in other regions wishing to manufacture ceramic water filters. The Manual seeks to document the manufacturing processes, the equipment and materials, the quality assurance, education and distribution processes used for RDI’s ceramic water filters. It will be accompanied by instructional videos, and technical drawings of equipment (by Vanna – see photo in right column!)

The design of ceramic water filters is both simple and ingenious. Using a local source of dry clay, rice husks and laterite which are prepared into fine powders, a wet clay is produced and pressed into the shape of a flower pot (without the drainage holes). Once dried, fired (in the kiln) cooled, painted with silver nitrate solution and dried again, these filters have the ability to turn polluted surface water into a safe drinking water supply.

The filters remove particles, bacteria and other organisms within the water, and the silver nitrate provides an additional dose of disinfectant to kill bacteria in the water. Ceramic water filters are well regarded around the world as providing an affordable, local solution to the requirements of communities to drink healthy and safe water where none is available from a public supply.

Often communities will drink directly from their water source – eg lakes, rivers, streams exposing themselves to bacteria, viruses and other parasites that cause water borne diseases that are rare in developed countries many with diarrhea symptoms very dangerous particularly to young children. Boiling of water is a safe method – if completed properly and water is stored safely , but it takes a significant amount of time and or money to fuel woodfires for the purpose.

Ceramic water filters treat the water with minimal effort and have low maintenance requirements. RDI manufactured 26,000 in 2006 and continues to provide them to communities through schools, community leaders and other non-government organisations (NGOs).

By producing a manual to describe the processes of getting ceramic water filters out into the community, RDI and EWB are extending greatly the opportunities for more regions to have access to ceramic water filters.

Judy