Grantee Research Project Results
West African Technology, Education and Reciprocity (WATER) for Benin
EPA Grant Number: SU833541Title: West African Technology, Education and Reciprocity (WATER) for Benin
Investigators: Striebig, Bradley A. , Garrity, Dan , Jeannot, Mary , Appel, Philip , Norwood, Susan , Gieber, Terry
Current Investigators: Striebig, Bradley A. , Maxwell, Alex , Tang, Alice , Luu, Annie , Parrish, Ashley , Fagnant, Christa , Pavese, Christopher , Humphreys, Crystal , Hannafious, Dustin , Brown, Elaine , Nalelia, Gilbert , Hayes, Jamie , Flanery, Jessica , Oddo, Jessica , Smeija, Joanne , Gilliland, John , Meeks, Justin , Latimer, Kayla , Remick, Kim , Cain, Laura , Panasewicz, Lauren , Scarsella, Maleena , Jeannot, Mary , McPherson, Mathew , Benegar, Meghan , Warren, Nadia , Krupski, Paul , Appel, Philip , Longinotti, Pia , Dougal, Renae , Dooley, Sandra , Vacanti, Sarah , Norwood, Susan , Gieber, Terry
Institution: Gonzaga University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: August 31, 2007 through April 30, 2008
Project Amount: $10,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2007) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Sub-Saharan Africa faces severe shortages of potable water currently and in the coming decades. The lack of access to potable water is exacerbated by extreme poverty. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals set forth realistic goals to improve access to water, sanitation and education and simultaneously reduce the number of people living below the poverty line. Appropriate technologies for water supply must synergistically address the three pillars of sustainable design: Solutions must be economical, environmentally benign and socially acceptable.
Approach:
This proposal seeks to improve the production process for drinking water filters at the Songhai Center for Sustainable Development in Porto-Novo, Benin. A manufacturing process to produce ceramic drinking water filters will be implemented during part of a Gonzaga University course taught at the Songhai Center. As part of this course, students will study the economic, engineering and social variables that make access to potable water challenging in Benin. Students will analyze the results of the data collected to make improvements to the drinking water manufacturing and marketing process during the academic 2007-2008 academic year. For example, students in civil and mechanical engineering will design a solid bio-fuel feed system to fire the drying kiln for the ceramics and activated carbon used in the drinking water filters. Students in the language, education and nursing programs will develop socially responsible educational materials to help market affordable point-of-use water filters in Benin.
Health assessments, educational materials and technical data will be used as metrics to measure the success of the project. As part of the on-going collaboration between the Songhai Center and Gonzaga University, a multi-year health assessment and epidemiological study will be started with this program and continued in future years to access the implementation process.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 1 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
community based, human health, drinking water, bio-fuel,Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.