Potential of ceramic and biosand water filters as low-cost point-of-use water treatment options for household use in Nigeria

Abstract

Many households in Nigeria lack access to safe drinking water. Sixty-three percent (63%) of the nation's population live in rural areas where only 3% of households have access to safely managed drinking water. This suggests an urgent need for intervention to offer sustainable solutions to drinking water needs at household levels. An operational research was commissioned by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria to generate evidence to inform and guide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programming on household water quality. This involved an assessment of local manufacturing of household water filters; factors influencing social acceptability and market opportunities for clay and biosand water filters in Nigeria. Implementation of the research recommendations by the filter factories resulted in improved bacterial removal efficiency (>97%) in filters. Factors such as filter design and efficiency were shown to influence acceptability of filters, which influenced the price at which users were willing to pay for the filters in the study areas. The market research indicated low popularity of the filters due to lack of promotion and marketing of the water filters. The research outcomes show great potential for sustainability and marketability of clay and biosand water filters for household water treatment in Nigeria.

Laboratory efficacy of locally manufactured ceramic water filters in removing Vibrio cholerae

“…In laboratory settings, CWFs produced at some factories have demonstrated a ≥2 log reduction value (LRV) of E. coli , regardless of silver application, 10,16,18–23 while other CWFs have demonstrated a wide range of variability and lower LRVs (<2 LRV). 19,24 This is expected based on manufacturing variation. A 2 LRV (corresponding to 99% removal) represents the minimum HWT microbiological performance target for E. coli , the World Health Organization's (WHO) bacterial organism of reference.…”

Low-Cost Antibacterial Ceramic Water Filters for Decentralized Water Treatment: Advances and Practical Applications

“…UNICEF has conducted operational research to evaluate the potential of CWF and biosand water filters for household point-of-use water treatment options in rural area of Nigeria . In the rural area, only 3% of households have access to safe drinking water.…”

“…UNICEF has conducted operational research to evaluate the potential of CWF and biosand water filters for household point-of-use water treatment options in rural area of Nigeria. 90 In the rural area, only 3% of households have access to safe drinking water. By implementation of the research recommendations, CWF factories could enhance the bacterial removal efficiency of the filter, surpassing 97%.…”

Comparative Study of the Physiochemical and Coagulating Properties of Moringa Oleifera (Linn) Seeds and Stem for Use in Water Purification

“…This puts to the fore the need to both improve access (availability and quantity) to water and ensure the quality of water at the point of consumption. The need for increased access to improved water quality at the point of @ECRTD-UK: https://www.eajournals.org/ Publication of the European Centre for Research Training and Development -UK consumption has resulted in a need to explore point-of-use water treatment options worldwide, especially amongst populations that are in dire need of access to safe drinking water [3].…”

“…To achieve the 6 th target of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is focused on improving universal access to water, it has become expedient to research alternative household treatment methods that would simply and effectively treat water at low cost while holding an appeal that would encourage sustained use among users in Nigeria [3]. The application of Moringa oleifera (Linn.)…”