27 April 2018

Lecture 3: Advanced Water Treatment Systems, Villages & Emergency

Author/Compiled by
Petter D. Jenssen (Norwegian University of Life Sciences)

Different water treatment solutions have been installed for villages in rural areas of India, Uganda, and Gabon. Water treatment for both drinking water and wastewater is covered with different filter technologies including sand filters, micro-filters and reverse osmosis are presented (see also water purification). Specific solutions both for water supply and sanitation have been provided for field hospitals (see also community and camp water supply and sanitation in emergencies).

This lecture highlights cost effective, field tested safe drinking water systems and sanitation solutions developed by Scandinavian Water Technology AS of Norway and in particular the use of compact membrane filter solutions for Indian villages.

Further Readings

Report on Mobile Emergency Water Treatment and Disinfection Units

This report from 1989 reviewed the emergency water treatment equipment from the US A.I.D. and its performance. It also suggests some valuable design criteria on specifications of water treatments units. However the market survey is obviously not up to date.

HOLLAND, F. GARLAND, M. (1989): Report on Mobile Emergency Water Treatment and Disinfection Units. (= WASH Field Report No. 271 ). Arlington: Water and Sanitation for Health Project URL [Accessed: 25.05.2011]

Water, Sanitation, and Shelter Equipment

These equipment packages have been devised by the Oxfam Public Health Engineering Team and others to help provide a reliable water supply, primarily for emergency situations such as in refugee camps and disaster-relief operations. The equipment is designed to be readily available, easily transported, simple to use, rapidly assembled, and fully self-contained, to provide an adequate water supply at moderate cost.

OXFAM (2000): Water, Sanitation, and Shelter Equipment. For Emergencies and Longer Term Use. Oxford: OXFAM URL [Accessed: 21.05.2019]

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