You are here:
USEPA'S SMALL DRINKING WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS IN ECUADOR AND MEXICO
Citation:
Moreno*, H AND J A. Goodrich*. USEPA'S SMALL DRINKING WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS IN ECUADOR AND MEXICO. Presented at Eighth Drinking Water Seminar, Dorado, PR, 5/22-24/2002.
Description:
In order to support and help in the struggle to improve the quality of drinking water in the United States and abroad, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) conducts research studies for the demonstration and evaluation of alternative and innovative drinking water treatment technologies for small systems. These studies not only enhance water treatment and water quality, but also promote the development and commercialization of practical and innovative technologies. In 1998, engineers and scientists from the USEPA, Water Supply and Water Resources Division (WSWRD) participated in a partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ecuadorian and Mexican health officials, and utility operators to demonstrate low-cost, small drinking water treatment technologies in selected communities in Ecuador and Mexico. These technologies ranged from small Point-of-Use/Point-of-Entry units (filtration/UV disinfection), to small scale treatment plants (filtration/ozonation/UV disinfection/chlorination). In addition to install and evaluate these packaged water treatment plants, another objective of the study was to attempt to demonstrate the cost effective nature of these types of systems. The funding for project ended in the Fall of 2000. This coming year 2002, personnel from the USEPA will visit the sites in Mexico to evaluate the status of all the packaged plants installed in Mexico in 1998. The results of this evaluation will translate in more appropriately designed technologies for packaged plants, not only producing quality drinking water, but also matching the exact needs and resources in the community, with the goal of developing more sustainable projects. During the course of this project many lessons have been learned that are in some cases site specific, but are in many cases universal in dealing with other countries and markets. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the challenges and benefits that can arise during foreign demonstration projects.