Bio-Sand Water Filter

Afropedea.org


Dirty water is the source of death, disease to many Afro-descendants, and it doesn't have to be. Simple technologies like the bio-sand water filter can be used to purify water. Slowly running filthy dirty water through sand and gravel can result in the removal of diseases and pathogens, thereby preventing deaths. The bio-sand filter works by 4 simultaneous process: Biological Layer, in which micro-organism consume dangerous pathogens and other micro-organisms, Mechanical Trapping in which the sand traps micro-organism, Absorption in which organisms are trapped by the static charge of the sand, Natural Death occurs with the denial of light, further down the filter.



A simple bio-sand filter construction is just taking a bucket filling the bottom with gravel and sand on top, then placing a pipe at the bottom. Dirty water is poured on top and flows through the sand and gravel, exiting through the pipe.



More sophisticated models