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The AguaClara DifferenceDespite functioning on the same basic process, there are major differences in design between what is effective in the developed world and what is feasible in the Global South. Almost all of the plants in the developed world rely on large amounts of electricity to monitor and operate. However, in the developing world, access to a reliable source of electricity is both doubtful and prohibitively expensive. AguaClara plants use gravity instead of pumps, and mechanical devices instead of electrical monitors, to run the plant. Since the plants are designed to be constructed using almost exclusively locally-available materials and labor, AguaClara communities also avoid the risks of failure or shut-down that plague other projects dependent upon overseas expertise and supplies. Up-to-date plant designs are freely available and customizable using the open-source AguaClara Automated Design Tool, accessible via our online interface. |
Background: The Purpose of Water Treatment
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- Combine all of the suspended particles (including clay, dirt, and organisms such as bacteria) into larger bunches of particles. This process is called flocculation and uses a coagulant to bond the dissolved particles into flocs.
- Allow the heavier, flocculated particles to settle out of the mixture. This process typical takes place in a sedimentation tank designed to maximize the range of particle speeds & sizes it can capture.
- Filter the water to remove any of the lighter flocs that escaped sedimentation.
- Dose the water with chlorine to kill any remaining disease-spreading organisms.
Performance Data
Excerpt
The AguaClara Difference
Despite functioning on the same basic process, there are major differences in design between what is effective in the developed world and what is feasible in the Global South. Almost all of the plants in the developed world rely on large amounts of electricity to monitor and operate. However, in the developing world, access to a reliable source of electricity is both doubtful and prohibitively expensive. AguaClara plants use gravity instead of pumps, and mechanical devices instead of electrical monitors, to run the plant. Since the plants are designed to be constructed using almost exclusively locally-available materials and labor, AguaClara communities also avoid the risks of failure or shut-down that plague other projects dependent upon overseas expertise and supplies. Up-to-date plant designs are freely available and customizable using the open-source AguaClara Automated Design Tool, accessible via our online interface.Program Director Monroe Weber-Shirk's Lecture Slides for Intro to Water Treatment: Water Treatment.pptx
Research methodology and current areas of focus: Research
Design Tool
Why Open Source?