Transcript Document
Itemized Budget for EPA STAR Grant Applications Poster Number Water Capture & Filtration System: A Replicable Design Concept for Arid Rural Communities University of Florida Joseli Macedo, John November, Iris Patten, Alex Sommer, Robert Weaver Using water drawn from regional open sources often carries water borne diseases Water is precious and can increase or limit economic activity Desertification is forcing many populations to abandon and relocate to already impoverished urban areas • eliminates reliance upon natural aquifers and open wells, but can be adapted to filter water from local rivers and wells too • allows any location that is in need of water filtration and underground storage to implement our project’s design • incorporates local goods and recycled materials to purify, store and filter the water without creating any additional source of environmental contamination • has a coarse filtration portion that is a novel approach to storing water and can be replicated all over the world • is made from dependable and efficient technologies and can be scaled up or down in order to service the water needs of practically any sized community • borrows from simple principles that have been used for centuries, but have never been molded together before • does not need traditional materials such as concrete or virgin plastic • can be easily replicated nearly anywhere on earth Minimize stagnant, open water Design a water capture and filtration system that provides a year round storage area and supply of clean water that facilitates development and economic activities Reduce potential environmental threats to adjacent communities Improve water quality to standards acceptable by the WHO Provide a consistent source of water that satisfy all household and economic needs Relationship to P³ Develop community education tools with participatory planning and implementation for pollution prevention, water management, and hygiene Provide advanced technical assistance for the implementation of pollution prevention practices and water management strategies Assist residents to develop practices that utilize water to expand and diversify the local economy that embrace traditional practices and culture “Each One Teach One”: mutual, contextual education about universal issues instills tolerance, assesses development impacts, and helps create solutions Games designed to illustrate potential issues related to inequality, property rights, and urbanization Will also work to educate residents on water availability, environmental stewardship, reforestation and sustainable farming techniques Construction of a reservoir in 2008 provides a somewhat reliable means of hydration and has stimulated the local economy – but evaporation, stagnation, pollutants and hazardous wildlife are now issues. There are diseases associated with this water supply such as diarrhea, Ascaris, Dracunculisis and Hookworm From the model we created we were able to determine filtration rates for the course filtration system, rain garden, and slow sand filter. Using available map data we were able to determine the orientation of the reservoir and discuss potential locations for the remote rain gardens and feasibility of the entire system New partnerships have been formed between our P3 team, the residents of Sissene, countless community actors who see the potential in our project, and four external partners: IEP Collaborative, Inc., Engineering for the Earth, the Zodo Noogo Association, and Community Building Group. Every design offered flaws and ultimately trade-offs either in terms of cost of construction or design efficacy. We were unable to develop a specific water distribution system due to inadequate spatial data.