Providing Safe drinking water to Rural Government Primary Schools

Summary

Providing and installing Siphon water filter units including storage drum with lid, tap and tumbler in 35 Government Primary School premises for the use of rural students numbering 2,199 in the Sethubavachatram block of Tanjore District, Tamilnadu.

Background

In the Sethubavachatram Block, Tanjore District there are 37 Panchayat villages. In total, there are 77 nos. of Government Primary Schools and 22 nos. of Government Middle Schools functioning in this Block. Most of the Schools have drinking water source through the Panchayat and in some Schools the staff arrange for the drinking water from nearby households, public tap. But, the quality of water (contaminated with bacteria, etc.,) has not been studied so far.

Ekoventure NGO is coordinating 25 women SHGs with a total strength of 362 members in this block and in the monthly group meetings the women members had represented about providing safe drinking water to their children studying in these Schools on witnessing a demo on the performance of the Water filter. As of now, no work relevant to water has been carried out by any other organizations in the proposed villages.

Location

Sethubavachatram Block , Tamilnadu, South India, India

Attachments

Tanjore_...
Project_...
List_of_...
Budget.xls
Report_R...

2 participants | show more
Acqua for All support

Saurin Shah of Team Blue

I realise that Acqua for All support was provided for 5 villages in Auroville http://www.avalokita.org/en/index.php?pagina=safedrinking Have any of you tried fund raising from Aqua for All? http://www.aquaforall.nl/content.asp?page=17

I realise that Acqua for All support was provided for 5 villages in Auroville
http://www.avalokita.org/en/index.php?pagina=safedrinking

Have any of you tried fund raising from Aqua for All?
http://www.aquaforall.nl/content.asp?page=17
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Dr. Sastry, The Siphon Water Filter was introduced by us in 32 Coastal villages in the Villupuram District under the Green Post Tsunami Action Project funded by EU. Mr. Klas van der Ven from Basic Water Needs Foundation (www.basicwaterneedsfoundation.org), The Netherlands had started the production of these filters in India near...
  
  Dear Dr. Sastry,
  
  The Siphon Water Filter was introduced by us in 32 Coastal villages in the Villupuram District under the Green Post Tsunami Action Project funded by EU.
  
  Mr. Klas van der Ven from Basic Water Needs Foundation (www.basicwaterneedsfoundation.org), The Netherlands had started the production of these filters in India near Auroville during 2008 and now have improved the filters on various aspects like use of different tubes, shape of bulb that regulates the water, etc.,
  
  The day-to-day maintenance of these filters is simple. It requires backwash once in 3 days or once in a week depending on the type of water (more muddy or normal) we filter. All the spare parts are available in the production unit itself. Kindly refer the leaflet uploaded in our profile about the maintenance of the filters.
  
  The Acqua for All support provided for 5 villages in Auroville is being implemented by an NGO Palmyra, Auroville. In this project, purification of water from the community open well by using U.V system is adopted. We have witnessed one of the villages and the entire unit costs around Rs. 1 lakh.
  
  We have not approached "Acqua for All" for any funding
  
  regards
  
  Pushpalatha
2 participants | show more
handling and maintenance cost

Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well

Hi Pushpalatha, Great to see how the SHGs are willing to help the 35 schools in Tanjore district of TN. I have one suggestion about handling, it would be better to have more than one tumbler, perhaps four per 50 users. In the proposal it is written as glass but listed as steel tumblers in the budget. I would stick to steel, tall glasses so...

Hi Pushpalatha, Great to see how the SHGs are willing to help the 35 schools in Tanjore district of TN. I have one suggestion about handling, it would be better to have more than one tumbler, perhaps four per 50 users. In the proposal it is written as glass but listed as steel tumblers in the budget. I would stick to steel, tall glasses so that the students hold at the bottom of the tumbler avoiding any contact with the rim of the glass. I am assuming they will drink water without touching thier lips to the rim of the glass as the Indians are expert in that skill. I understand washing of 4 glasses will be more work and use of detergent or washing agent but that would be safer than spreading contagious viruses.

Regarding the maintenance cost please explain why USD250? Is it maintenance of all the 52+10 filters? Or should it be INR250 annually for cost of the whole system is only USD30?
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith, Thank you for the suggestions. We will certainly include 4 stainless steel tall glasses per 50 children. Regarding the maintenance cost: The budget of USD 250 is for the entire 52 + 10 filters in all the 35 schools. We have worked out INR 200 approximately per filter unit as annual maintenance cost. It include...
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
  Thank you for the suggestions.
  We will certainly include 4 stainless steel tall glasses per 50 children.
  
  Regarding the maintenance cost:
  The budget of USD 250 is for the entire 52 + 10 filters in all the 35 schools.
  We have worked out INR 200 approximately per filter unit as annual maintenance cost. It includes, cost of detergent, replacement of filter parts.
  
  Thanks and regards
  
  Pushpalatha
2 participants | show more
source of raw water and specs of filter

Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well

Hello Pushpalata, thanks for your response. A couple more questions: Where can I get information on specifications of the filter (candle) that supposedly removes bacteria since no disinfectant is used? At the schools what would be the source of water that would be filtered?

Hello Pushpalata, thanks for your response. A couple more questions: Where can I get information on specifications of the filter (candle) that supposedly removes bacteria since no disinfectant is used? At the schools what would be the source of water that would be filtered?
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith, The Water filter produced and marketed by Basic Water Needs India uses candles imported from China. It is impregnated with Silver. The source of water in the 35 Schools have been studied. It is either from the local panchayat directly connected to School or the School staff collects water from near by public t...
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
  
  The Water filter produced and marketed by Basic Water Needs India uses candles imported from China. It is impregnated with Silver.
  
  The source of water in the 35 Schools have been studied. It is either from the local panchayat directly connected to School or the School staff collects water from near by public taps/households.
  
  regards
  Pushpalatha
  - S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
    
    Please visit the website: http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Siphon_filter for details Pushpalatha
    
    Please visit the website:
    
    http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Siphon_filter
    
    for details
    
    Pushpalatha
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Please visit the website: http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Siphon_filter for details Pushpalatha
  
  Please visit the website:
  
  http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Siphon_filter
  
  for details
  
  Pushpalatha
3 participants | show more
Manufactue and Maintenance of the Siphon Water Filter

Saurin Shah of Team Blue

Dear Ms. Pusphalatha, Can you kindly provide the weblink for the Manufacturer of the Siphon Water Filter. You could also let us know more about the maintenance aspects too. Thanks & Regards Sastry

Dear Ms. Pusphalatha,

Can you kindly provide the weblink for the Manufacturer of the Siphon Water Filter. You could also let us know more about the maintenance aspects too.

Thanks & Regards
Sastry
- Saurin Shah of Team Blue
  
  http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Siphon_filter
  
  http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Siphon_filter
- Rick McGowan of Team Blue
  
  Unfortunately I have no experience whatsoever with siphon water filters, so I cannot comment in any depth. I only know what is reported below by Mr. Klas van der Ven from Basic Water Needs Foundation. What is an "SHG"? That acronym does not appear to be explained anywhere. It would be helpful if all costs described in the various subm...
  
  Unfortunately I have no experience whatsoever with siphon water filters, so I cannot comment in any depth. I only know what is reported below by Mr. Klas van der Ven from Basic Water Needs Foundation.
  
  What is an "SHG"? That acronym does not appear to be explained anywhere.
  
  It would be helpful if all costs described in the various submissions where given in both local currency as well as US$, so that system and O&M costs can be readily compared in different locations.
  
  The proposed one glass per 50 users is a great way to spread disease. Who will wash the glasses and where will they get the soap to properly do so? I agree with Meera that "4 glasses will be more work and use of detergent or washing agent but that would be safer than spreading contagious viruses."
  
  In addition to maintenance cost details, who will provide any necessary parts and training required to keep these systems running?
  - S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
    
    Dear Rick McGowan, Thank you for the queries. SHG means Self Help Group. Women SHGs are formed and established as microfinance institutions with a minimum membership of 10-20 members per group. In our budget sheet (Excel), we have given costs in both local currency and USD. In our earlier reply in response to Meera Hira-Smith, we hav...
    
    Dear Rick McGowan,
    Thank you for the queries.
    
    SHG means Self Help Group. Women SHGs are formed and established as microfinance institutions with a minimum membership of 10-20 members per group.
    In our budget sheet (Excel), we have given costs in both local currency and USD. In our earlier reply in response to Meera Hira-Smith, we have agreed to the suggestion to include 4-5 glasses per unit.
    
    The detergents will be provided by the School authorities. The glasses will be regularly washed by the staff of the respective schools. Training will be given regularly by Ekoventure and the monitoring of the system will be carried out jointly by the respective women SHG-Ekoventure-School authorities. The maintenance costs/replacing of any parts will be carried out by the respective women SHGs.
    
    regards
    
    Pushpalatha
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Rick McGowan, Thank you for the queries. SHG means Self Help Group. Women SHGs are formed and established as microfinance institutions with a minimum membership of 10-20 members per group. In our budget sheet (Excel), we have given costs in both local currency and USD. In our earlier reply in response to Meera Hira-Smith, we hav...
  
  Dear Rick McGowan,
  Thank you for the queries.
  
  SHG means Self Help Group. Women SHGs are formed and established as microfinance institutions with a minimum membership of 10-20 members per group.
  In our budget sheet (Excel), we have given costs in both local currency and USD. In our earlier reply in response to Meera Hira-Smith, we have agreed to the suggestion to include 4-5 glasses per unit.
  
  The detergents will be provided by the School authorities. The glasses will be regularly washed by the staff of the respective schools. Training will be given regularly by Ekoventure and the monitoring of the system will be carried out jointly by the respective women SHG-Ekoventure-School authorities. The maintenance costs/replacing of any parts will be carried out by the respective women SHGs.
  
  regards
  
  Pushpalatha
2 participants | show more
regarding specifications of filter

Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well

Hello again, As I understand that the siphon is used to increase the flow rate. I have seen specs on the weblink of akvo that does say the bacteria is 99.99% free even after 7000 litres of water was passed through it. Was the water pre-treated, pipeline water? Or was the water from the pond or river? I have read somewhere that the sipho...

Hello again,
As I understand that the siphon is used to increase the flow rate. I have seen specs on the weblink of akvo that does say the bacteria is 99.99% free even after 7000 litres of water was passed through it. Was the water pre-treated, pipeline water? Or was the water from the pond or river? I have read somewhere that the siphon filtered water should be used within 24 hours and if there is any excess it should be passed through the filter again. Why is this done if there is no source of contamination? Does silver coating and the size of pores of the filter remove the pathogenic bacteria? Have you done any bacteriological tests yourself before implementing them elsewhere?
I am asking these questions to see its viability in the community level using dugwell water by 10 families to discontinue use of disinfectant. In a controlled environment like school this system is viable for the flow rate is 4-6 litres per hour. Thank you for the information.
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith, The water that we use for filtering vary from muddy pond water, community tap water to borehole water (rope pump). Yes, the filtered water has to be used within 24 hours. We will furnish the detailed reasons from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India. We conducted bacteriological analysis of samples...
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
  
  The water that we use for filtering vary from muddy pond water, community tap water to borehole water (rope pump).
  Yes, the filtered water has to be used within 24 hours. We will furnish the detailed reasons from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India.
  
  We conducted bacteriological analysis of samples of filtered water and unpurified water collected from the same source of Rope pumps installed in Villupuram district at the notified lab of the Public Health Division, PWD, Pondicherry. The Total Coliforms (MPN – Index/100ml) was between 460 and >1100 and the Faecal Coliforms (MPN – Index/100ml) was between 9 and 14 in the untreated water samples (unfit for drinking purpose) and the population was absent in the case of filtered water.
  
  regards
  
  Pushpalatha
  - Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well
    
    good to know that the data given in the proposal was actually done by your group and not data from lab of the promoters/manufacturers. thank you and have a good day.
    
    good to know that the data given in the proposal was actually done by your group and not data from lab of the promoters/manufacturers. thank you and have a good day.
    - S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
      
      Dear Meera Hira-Smith, Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India. The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added. Using dirty water ...
      
      Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
      
      Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India.
      
      The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added.
      
      Using dirty water the expected capacity of the filter will be less than 7000 liters, due to the frequency of cleaning the surface of the candle with the special scrub material that is included. Because of the back-washing of the filter by squeezing the bulb, the frequency of cleaning the candle surface will be reduced.
      
      Filtered water can be stored now for more than 24 hours, due to the very small amount of silver in the filtered water. Many bacteria removing tests have been done using contaminated surface water. So dug well water can be filtered with very good results.
      
      Further, I attach a pdf file received from him in the application
      
      regards
      
      Pushpalatha
  - S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
    
    Dear Meera Hira-Smith, Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India. The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added. Using dirty water ...
    
    Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
    
    Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India.
    
    The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added.
    
    Using dirty water the expected capacity of the filter will be less than 7000 liters, due to the frequency of cleaning the surface of the candle with the special scrub material that is included. Because of the back-washing of the filter by squeezing the bulb, the frequency of cleaning the candle surface will be reduced.
    
    Filtered water can be stored now for more than 24 hours, due to the very small amount of silver in the filtered water. Many bacteria removing tests have been done using contaminated surface water. So dug well water can be filtered with very good results.
    
    Further, I attach a pdf file received from him in the application
    
    regards
    
    Pushpalatha
- Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well
  
  good to know that the data given in the proposal was actually done by your group and not data from lab of the promoters/manufacturers. thank you and have a good day.
  
  good to know that the data given in the proposal was actually done by your group and not data from lab of the promoters/manufacturers. thank you and have a good day.
  - S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
    
    Dear Meera Hira-Smith, Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India. The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added. Using dirty water ...
    
    Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
    
    Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India.
    
    The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added.
    
    Using dirty water the expected capacity of the filter will be less than 7000 liters, due to the frequency of cleaning the surface of the candle with the special scrub material that is included. Because of the back-washing of the filter by squeezing the bulb, the frequency of cleaning the candle surface will be reduced.
    
    Filtered water can be stored now for more than 24 hours, due to the very small amount of silver in the filtered water. Many bacteria removing tests have been done using contaminated surface water. So dug well water can be filtered with very good results.
    
    Further, I attach a pdf file received from him in the application
    
    regards
    
    Pushpalatha
- S. Pushpalatha of Ekoventure
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith, Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India. The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added. Using dirty water ...
  
  Dear Meera Hira-Smith,
  
  Though it is too late, for further reference I herewith reproduce the clarifications received from Mr. Klas van der Ven of Basic Water Needs India.
  
  The filter removes more than 99.99% of bacteria using real contaminated water. Water tested was tap water with high amounts of bacteria added.
  
  Using dirty water the expected capacity of the filter will be less than 7000 liters, due to the frequency of cleaning the surface of the candle with the special scrub material that is included. Because of the back-washing of the filter by squeezing the bulb, the frequency of cleaning the candle surface will be reduced.
  
  Filtered water can be stored now for more than 24 hours, due to the very small amount of silver in the filtered water. Many bacteria removing tests have been done using contaminated surface water. So dug well water can be filtered with very good results.
  
  Further, I attach a pdf file received from him in the application
  
  regards
  
  Pushpalatha

Name	Status	Completion Date	Final Cost
Providing Safe drinking water to Rural Government Primary Schools	completed	May 2010	2,146

Plan Amount:	2,146
Amount Funded:	2,146
Funded by:
Blue Planet Network	2,146

plan 231Providing Safe drinking water to Rural Government Primary Schools

by Ekoventure in India

Status: Plan accepted

Peer Review

Summary

Background

Location

Attachments

Focus

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 0

School Children Getting Water: 2,344

People Getting Sanitation: 0

People Getting Other Benefits:

Start Date: 2009-09-01

Completion Date: 2010-02-28

Technology Used:

Phases:

Community Organization:

Government Interaction:

Ancillary activities:

Other Issues:

Maintenance Revenue:

Maintenance Cost: $250

Metrics:

Cost: $2,146

Co Funding Amount:

Community Contribution Amount:

Fund Requested: $2,146

Attachments