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MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR ACTIVATED CARBON AND CERAMIC WATER FILTERS AT THE SONGHAI CENTER, BENIN
Impact/Purpose:
The water at the Songhai Center in Benin was tested in 2004 and was compromised by the lack of sanitation and water treatment due to the high poverty level in the Country. A ceramic filter called a Filtron, developed by Potters for Peace, will be used for water treatment. Activated carbon will be used to further increase the effectiveness of the filter, particularly in removing organic and inorganic contaminants. The effectiveness, low cost, and ease of use make these technologies fully sustainable and ideal for point source treatment of drinking water in Benin and developing countries
Description:
Ceramic filters will be manufactured at the Songhai Center in Porto-Novo, Benin for cost-effective drinking water treatment. The efficiency of the ceramic filters will be improved by adding activated carbon cartridges to remove organic and inorganic impurities. The activated carbon will be manufactured from coconut shell wastes, by-products of agricultural production. Community-focused projects, such as this one, directly address the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set by the United Nations (UN). Members of the Gonzaga Chapter of Engineers Without Borders will be responsible for the planning, management and design of the project during their senior capstone design course. The sustainable design objectives for the EWB effort are to:
- Design and determine the efficiency of drinking water filters that utilize activated carbon and ceramic treatment.
- Design biogas burning furnaces to manufacture activated carbon and finish the ceramic filters.
- Design the structure of a filter manufacturing facility.
- Reduce exposure and subsequent illness to intestinal parasites and disease with cost-effective treatment technologies that can be distributed regionally in Benin.