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The AguaClara team has addressed each of these shortcomings. The team has developed designs for hydraulic flocculators that are economical to construct. These designs are based on a combination of fundamental fluid mechanics as well as ongoing research. The team has invented a gravity powered flow control module that delivers a constant flow rate and that is adjusted simply by raising or lowering a flexible tube. The AguaClara team has committed to open source engineering (freely sharing all of our research findings and our design algorithms). Our strategy to reduce the engineering design costs is to both publish our design algorithms and create an automated, web-based, design tool that will enable partner organizations to obtain detailed design documentation including 3-D CAD drawings of an AguaClara plant that is customized to the size of local materials that will be used for construction. Although the AguaClara design process is sophisticated, the resulting designs appear deceptively simple and use components that can be repaired and replaced by the plant operators.
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Having shown that our plants are successful in Honduras, we plan to expand to additional municipalities in Honduras and worldwide. Our goal is that five AguaClara plants be constructed in Honduras by the summer of 2009. Recognizing the global demand for this technology we seek to develop a network of partners who are dedicated to knowledge transfer and capacity building and who can help disseminate the technology in other countries and who are willing to share their experiences with the network. Our growth model emphasizes South to South spread with strategic North to South collaborations to create new launch sites.