Local innovation for application of membrane system for supply of arsenic-safe water in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Over seventy million people in Bangladesh are drinking arsenic contaminated water. There is a lack of available sustainable arsenic removal technologies in the rural Bangladesh. This paper reports on a successful retrofit that allows for readily available, cost effective and dependable membrane system application for arsenic removal in rural Bangladesh. The retrofit is very simple, overcoming the limitation of a hydraulic pressure by a low cost pump placement in line to the membrane system. The system was field tested in a well with high arsenic concentration 0.1 mg/L (Government of Bangladesh Limit is 0.05 mg/L), along with high iron and hardness. In the field trial, the retrofitted technology was successful and produced water that does not contain any arsenic (0.0 mg/L), low in iron, and low in hardness. The system cost, along with the retrofitting, is only a hundred and seventy US dollars, a sum within the reach of many in Bangladesh. It is also important to note that we are using an existing technology available off the shelf and retrofitting it using locally available materials. The work reported in the paper will create a significant impact relief to the people in the arsenic affected regions of Bangladesh.