Establishing a reliable mixture of clay, burnouts, and accessory materials requires a period of testing and troubleshooting. Although working mixtures have been established in other factory locations, the information gained from these experiments only give us a general idea of where to start. It is not only necessary to begin factory production with a lengthy testing peroiod, but every time a new batch of raw materials comes into the factory, testing must be done to make sure they are of consistent source and quality.

Developing a system of record-keeping and filter numbering is a critical aspect of manufacture troubleshooting. Factories that have been in production for years discover, suddenly, peculiar changes in filter functioning or appearance. By going back through the logs we can discover if the change occured because of a change of material sourcing, or a firing schedule fluctuation.

When selecting a source of raw materials, one must consider that it is a finite resource. A feasability study attempts to identify problems of inconsistant availablilty, contaminated sources, or insufficient material for the lifetime of the factory. The variable nature of naturally sourced materials makes it impossible to produce an identical product every time, but following certain procedures allows us to produce a greater number of filters which fall within the range of acceptability.

Production protocols which have been extablished in the first months of setup should be recorded and maintained. Any improvements, or changes to manufacturing procedures must be recorded and re-produced through several operating cycles in order to be proven.

Finally, we must realize that producing a homogenous filter is beyond the scope of appropriate technology as it applies to these filters. What we want is to produce an effective filter as simply as possible with locally sourced materials and abilities. Consistency in materials, sourcing, and testing increases the percentage of effective filters in each production cycle.

These organizations work locally, or internationally in various other aspects of assistance including health, education, and childrens aid. Once basic research into Ceramic Water Filter (CWF) technology has been done administrators are faced with the decision of weather to start a completely new filter manufacturing enterprise, or invest in an existing project.

Small groups working in a specifically target area are first recommended to consider purchasing a batch of filters from the closest manufacturer available. This is both a reliable way to determine local interest in the product, and also a way to bolster sales for existing factories. Its possible that sustained purchase agreements can be the ultimate solution for both parties.

Another benefit of beginning with small scale importation of filters is that groups seeking investors in a social enterprise can represent this primary distribution as primary market research. Having working filters in-hand lends a great deal to presentations, giving participants a focus to questions of local applicability.

Larger organizations considering investment in CWF factories would do well to examine the impact of developing new enterprises vs. support to existing facilities. When studying the track record of factory start-ups one sees the trend of new factories acchieving target investments for preliminary production, only to meet the new struggle of sustainable production targets. Budgets for new factories rarely take into consideration the long term costs of developing a stable market.

Although the initial investment to begin production is important, the dollar for dollar cost of producing filters is lower when investing in an already producing facility. These new factories begin production with the simplest form of technology, and the most basic of filter designs to put on the market. With a secondary financial boost to upgrade factory production, or to develop more robust marketing plans, we could see a scaling-up of filter distribution.

Key words: Bacteria; Copper; Diarrhoea; Drinking-water; Vibrio cholerae; India

Download: (163Kb Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Storing Drinking-water in Copper-pots Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria

Five interventions – chlorination, solar disinfection, ceramic filtration, slow sand filtration, and PUR – have been proven to reduce diarrhea in users in developing countries and improve the microbiological quality of stored household water and are discussed below. The most appropriate HWTS option for a location depends on existing water and sanitation conditions, water quality, cultural acceptability, implementation feasibility, availability of HWTS technologies, and other local conditions. For more information, contact (email in document). Photos courtesy: PSI, PFP, Hydraid, EAWAG, P&G.”

Download Pdf: http://potterswithoutborders.com/manualuploads/UploadedDocuments/Studies/CDC%201-pager-proven-new-logo.pdf

Derek Chitwood wrote…

“Pug mills really do increase the strength of our filters. At our facility in Yunnan China, we did an experiment where we made 12 blocks as we usually do (banging them on the floor) and each weighing 8.6kg (as usual). In the next set of 12 we added 0.2kg to each block (8.8 kg) thinking that the extra material would cause extra compression – and work like a pug mill in effect. Our 3rd set of 12 had an extra 0.4kg in each block (9.0kg) – that was a lot of waste and frustrating for the technician. Then the 4th set of 12 had all the clay first go through a pug mill once and then was made into normal 8.6kg blocks (as usual – pounding them on the ground). The results where that the crack point of our filters increased about 9%. “  See the figure:
— in Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Data courtesy of Derek Chitwood

The mission of the Ceramic Water Filter Program is to increase access to clean drinking water in rural communities through the distribution of locally-produced, low-cost ceramic water filters.  The program is also designed to disseminate public health education about water and provide local economic opportunities.

The Need

Along with our Canadian partners and Potters Without Borders, Village Volunteers supported the construction of a ceramic water filter manufacturing facility in Kiminini, in Western Kenya. Under the guidance of its board of directors, the plant will produce water filters that eliminate 99.88% of waterborne pathogens.

In 2008, UNICEF declared that more than 45% of people lack access to a safe water source. Currently, 60% of rural village deaths in Kenya are caused by illnesses related to unsafe water and sanitation. Sadly the vast majority of these deaths are children under the age of five (Ministry of Health, Kenya).

The Approach

The facility is managed by Kenyans, and local women are certified as “specialists” to sell the filters.  These women are trained in the dangers of waterborne diseases, the importance of filtering water, and how to maintain the ceramic filters. As “specialists”, they meet with women’s groups, churches, and schools to educate their communities about the health risks associated with water drawn from lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, cisterns and bore holes (wells).

How you can help

For only $20 USD, you can sponsor a ceramic water filter for a VV partner orphan home, school, or clinic in Kenya or Ghana.

Volunteer to assist in teaching about water health in local village communities in Kenya.
Thank You!

Village Volunteers would like to thank the Woodinville Rotary Club in Washington for their generous contributions toward the construction of the ceramic water filter facility and their continued support of helping us provide water filters for vulnerable children.

(Excerpt from Village Volunteers website: http://www.villagevolunteers.org/initiatives_water_filters.php

http://potterswithoutborders.com/manualuploads/UploadedDocuments/FilterMoldDimensionsWorksheet.pdf

Interviews: Daybreak South, CBC Radio, July 27 2011
Potters Without Borders – Burt Cohen speaks with Marion Barschel

Potters Without Borders has been working for years to bring clean water to African homes. Burt Cohen of Enderby is the executive director of Potters Without Borders. These are some photos he took while in Somaliland last November.

Flow testing filters at the Biyo Miireceramic water filter factory in Hargeisa, Somaliland. This factory was set up in early 2010 by the Red Crescent Society and is currently responding to the increased demand caused by the large number of displaced people in the region.

Daybreak’s Marion Barschel spoke with Burt Cohen about what this organization is doing in Africa right now.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_GB&hl=en_GB&key=0Am6bhmi1SpOBdEhiOGJLSjRhRkZVS3ZPcXAwb0VNZUE&output=html

1Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), 70 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA;
2Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
3FABE Department, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
4University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, Africa;
5Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton NJ, 08544, USA;
6Eweje Village, Nigerian Ministry of Health, Federal Government of Nigeria, Africa;
7Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA;
8Potters for Peace, Ceramic Water Filter Program, Managua, Nicaragua;
Received: 29.10.2010 Accepted: 22.2.1011 Published: 19.5.2011

Abstract
Field study and surveys were conducted to evaluate interdisciplinary parameters influencing the health of people using ceramic filters for water purification. A total of 52 families were distributed with filters at Eweje Village, Odeda local government area, Ogun State, Nigeria. Surveys contained questions related to hygiene, health, water source and treatment, socio-economic and educational status of people and their use of clay ceramic water filters. Several parameters were studied including time of use of water filter, maintainability, education, societal economics, and social the status of the people using the filters. There was interdependence between these parameters. Health of the Eweje village community was greatly influenced by the number of people using the filter, the time of filter usage, education, maintainability, access to medical facilities, and economic status. A novel multi parameter multivariate regression approach clearly enumerates the hierarchy of the effects of the influencing variables on the health of Eweje community. Apart from population and time of filter use, access to medical services also influenced health of this rural community.
Key words: Rural, Health, Water, Filters, Education, Regression, Africa