Quality Of Stored Water Research Articles

Sustained Uptake of a Hospital-Based Handwashing with Soap and Water Treatment Intervention (Cholera-Hospital-Based Intervention for 7 Days [CHoBI7]): A Randomized Controlled Trial

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age globally. The time patients and caregivers spend at a health facility for severe diarrhea presents the opportunity to deliver water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. We recently developed Cholera-Hospital-Based Intervention for 7 days (CHoBI7), a 1-week hospital-based handwashing with soap and water treatment intervention, for household members of cholera patients. To investigate if this intervention could lead to sustained WASH practices, we conducted a follow-up evaluation of 196 intervention household members and 205 control household members enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of the CHoBI7 intervention 6 to 12 months post-intervention. Compared with the control arm, the intervention arm had four times higher odds of household members' handwashing with soap at a key time during 5-hour structured observation (odds ratio [OR]: 4.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.61, 8.49) (18% versus 50%) and a 41% reduction in households in the World Health Organization very high-risk category for stored drinking water (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.96) (58% versus 34%) 6 to 12 months post-intervention. Furthemore, 71% of observed handwashing with soap events in the intervention arm involved the preparation and use of soapy water, which was promoted during the intervention, compared to 9% of control households. These findings demonstrate that the hospital-based CHoBI7 intervention can lead to significant increases in handwashing with soap practices and improved stored drinking water quality 6 to 12 months post-intervention.

A Study on Rain Water Harvesting and Comparative Cost Analysis with Withdrawal of Underground Water around Gazipur City

Rain water harvesting is a technology used to supply water for domestic purposes in developing countries. During dry weather, dust and other pollutants accumulate on the roof surface and are washed off at the beginning of the next rain. The initial contaminated volume of water flowing from a roof after a rain storm is known as the first flush and research has shown that diverting it from the main supply can improve the quality of stored water. An integrated planning for Rooftop Rain Water Harvesting system for different institutes in the premises an educational complex is done. The main objectives of the study are to estimate the roof top rain water harvesting potential and comparative cost analysis with withdrawal underground water.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 8(1): 91-94 2015

Impact of artificial monolayer application on stored water quality at the air-water interface.

Evaporation mitigation has the potential to significantly improve water use efficiency, with repeat applications of artificial monolayer formulations the most cost-effective strategy for large water storages. Field investigations of the impact of artificial monolayers on water quality have been limited by wind and wave turbulence, and beaching. Two suspended covers differing in permeability to wind and light were used to attenuate wind turbulence, to favour the maintenance of a condensed monolayer at the air/water interface of a 10 m diameter tank. An octadecanol formulation was applied twice-weekly to one of two covered tanks, while a third clean water tank remained uncovered for the 14-week duration of the trial. Microlayer and subsurface water samples were extracted once a week to distinguish impacts associated with the installation of covers, from the impact of prolonged monolayer application. The monolayer was selectively toxic to some phytoplankton, but the toxicity of hydrocarbons leaching from a replacement liner had a greater impact. Monolayer application did not increase water temperature, humified dissolved organic matter, or the biochemical oxygen demand, and did not reduce dissolved oxygen. The impact of an octadecanol monolayer on water quality and the microlayer may not be as detrimental as previously considered.

Assessment of variable drinking water sources used in Egypt on broiler health and welfare.

Aim:This study assessed the impact of four water sources used as drinking water in Egypt for broiler chickens on its performance, carcass characteristic, hematological, and immunological responses.Materials and Methods:A total of 204 unsexed 1-day old Indian River broiler chickens were used in this study. They were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 51 birds in each, with three replicates, 17 birds per replicate. Groups were classified according to water source they had been received into (T1) received farm tap water; (T2) received filtered tap water (T3) received farm stored water at rooftop tanks, (T4) received underground (well) water.Results:All water sources showed no significant differences among treated groups at (p>0.05) for most of the performance parameters and carcass characteristics. However (T2) group showed higher records for body weight (BWT), BWT gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio, bursa weight, serum total protein, globulin (G), albumin (A) and A/G ratio, Ab titer against New castle disease virus vaccine. On the other hand, it showed lower records for water intake (WI), WI/Feed intake ratio, total leukocytes count %, heterophil %, lymphocyte %, H/L ratio, liver weight, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum uric acid and creatinine. Where filtered water reverse osmosis showed lowest records for bacterial load, the absence of coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity. On the other hand stored water showed higher numerical values for TDS, EC, alkalinity, salinity, pH, bacterial count, and coliform count.Conclusion:Base on the results of this study, it is concluded that different water sources could safely be used as drinking water for poultry; as long as it is present within the acceptable range of drinking water quality for chickens. Suggesting the benefits of treatment of water sources on improving chickens’ health and welfare. Draw attention to the importance of maintaining the hygienic quality of stored water.

Remote water quality monitoring in wide area

A wireless sensor network (WSN) with deployed field servers, which collect information on the water quality from a wide target area, is designed to detect water pollution in streams, rivers and coastal areas. The water pollution data, such as dissolved oxygen (DO), hydrogen ion exponent (pH), conductivity, turbidity, depth of water, and temperature, are transmitted between the field servers, and finally, to the base station (BS) in a self-organizing wireless sensor network using water quality sensor modules. A data averaging process is designed on the field servers to reduce the communication traffic and achieve consequential reliable data communication between the field servers and the BS in WSN. The measured sequential water quality data from the field servers are stored in a buffer for a fixed time duration and the stored water quality data are transmitted to the neighbor sensor node after performing the data averaging calculation at the node for data compression. A query-based flooding routing protocol is designed and used to transfer the measured water quality data efficiently. A query system is implemented using Java installed on a server PC connected serially via the RS-232 protocol to the BS. The sensor node is programmed using the nesC language on the TinyOS platform for small-scale WSN monitoring.

An Afternoon with Professor Hermanowicz: Exploring Sustainability and Water Filtration

A n A fternoon with P rofessor H ermanowicz : E xploring S ustainability and W ater F iltration By: Harshika Chowdhary, Luis Castro, Phillipa McGuinness, Juwon Kim, Saavan Patel, Kevin Nuckolls, and Manraj Gill. B S J BSJ had the distinct pleasure and honor of interviewing Dr. Slav Hermanowicz. Dr. Slav Hermanowicz is an Environmental Engineering professor at the University of California Berkeley. His research focuses on the process of water quality treatment so that wastewater can be reused. Another aspect of Dr. Hermanowicz’s research is centered on improving the quality of stored water. In this interview, Dr. Hermanowicz talks about the process of wastewater filtration and how filtration techniques have changed over time. He also discusses the implications of environmental engineering and what constitutes sustainability. BSJ thanks Dr. Hermanowicz for his time. Berkeley Scientific Journal: How did you get involved in your field of research? Professor Hermanowicz: To give you a background, I was born and brought up in Poland. I also went to college there. The focus of environmental engineering was a little bit different than what it is today. At that time, environmental engineering was focused on public health, on providing safe water, sanitation, and cleaning the aquatic environment. The focus was on people, but the focus has evolved today to encompass the broader picture. I wanted to be an engineer because engineers are “doers”. Environmental engineering is unique such that it cuts through many different sciences. Unlike civil engineers, I had to take microbiology, structure, and chemistry classes. Today, we encourage our students to study sociology or psychology because they will interact with communities and people. I like to compare civil engineering and environmental engineering with the following example. You are using an iPhone to record me. If this iPhone does not work properly, it is not such a big deal; you can buy a new phone. On the other hand, if we build a treatment facility or a bridge, the scale is larger and affects more people. There is perhaps a different perspective when considering the field of environmental engineering. The consequences of environmental engineering are not necessarily bigger, but they are consequences that last longer. These consequences are felt by very broad groups of society. What really drew me into the field of environmental engineering was that it is useful to large groups of people and allows the engineer to regard problems in many different scales. This turns out to be true. In my research, students are looking at the nanoscale of catalysts with modified properties to the scale of a whole building and then perhaps even larger scales, like the Colorado River. There is a huge range of topics and opportunities in this field. BSJ: How exactly do you measure and define sustainability in the water reuse cycle? Professor Hermanowicz: First of all, no one knows the answer to that question. Sustainability is a term that is defined differently by every person. When pressed, people fall back to the definition of the Bruntland Report, which is now 30 years old. People quote a passage about meeting the needs of the current generation and allowing future generation to have a range of choices. This is more a process or a path, rather than a destination. We’re trying to implement and find solutions in a way that will 42 • B erkeley S cientific J ournal • W aste • S pring 2015 • V olume 19 • I ssue 2

Comparative Analysis of on-Farm Reservoir Management Techniques and Their Effect on Filtering Requirements for Irrigation

This study identifies and quantifies the operational advantages of covering agricultural water reservoirs (AWRs) for irrigation by means of Suspended Shade Cloth Covers (SSCCs) in comparison with other traditional management practices: Casual Chemical Treatment (CCT) and Systematic Chemical Treatment (SCT). The operational advantages, including the cost-effectiveness, were analysed by carrying out filtering trials at ten sites in south-eastern Spain, where the effect of each technique on algae presence and filtering requirements for microirrigation was evaluated. The results evidenced that AWR management can significantly affect the quality of stored water, with SSCC being the most effective practice in controlling algae presence. Filtering trials corroborated the extraordinary performance of SSCCs since they presented much higher volumes of treated water until filter saturation, two and three orders of magnitude higher than the CCT and SCT management practices, respectively. This result would imply a total annual reduction in operational costs due to the SSCC installation ranging from 359.6 to 598.0 € y−1 when comparing with the CCT, and of 403.2 € y−1 in the case of SCT. Therefore the effect on filtering requirements is an essential consideration in the SSCCs cost-effectiveness assessment.

Fecal contamination of drinking-water in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Access to safe drinking-water is a fundamental requirement for good health and is also a human right. Global access to safe drinking-water is monitored by WHO and UNICEF using as an indicator "use of an improved source," which does not account for water quality measurements. Our objectives were to determine whether water from "improved" sources is less likely to contain fecal contamination than "unimproved" sources and to assess the extent to which contamination varies by source type and setting. Studies in Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish were identified from online databases, including PubMed and Web of Science, and grey literature. Studies in low- and middle-income countries published between 1990 and August 2013 that assessed drinking-water for the presence of Escherichia coli or thermotolerant coliforms (TTC) were included provided they associated results with a particular source type. In total 319 studies were included, reporting on 96,737 water samples. The odds of contamination within a given study were considerably lower for "improved" sources than "unimproved" sources (odds ratio [OR] = 0.15 [0.10-0.21], I2 = 80.3% [72.9-85.6]). However over a quarter of samples from improved sources contained fecal contamination in 38% of 191 studies. Water sources in low-income countries (OR = 2.37 [1.52-3.71]; p<0.001) and rural areas (OR = 2.37 [1.47-3.81] p<0.001) were more likely to be contaminated. Studies rarely reported stored water quality or sanitary risks and few achieved robust random selection. Safety may be overestimated due to infrequent water sampling and deterioration in quality prior to consumption. Access to an "improved source" provides a measure of sanitary protection but does not ensure water is free of fecal contamination nor is it consistent between source types or settings. International estimates therefore greatly overstate use of safe drinking-water and do not fully reflect disparities in access. An enhanced monitoring strategy would combine indicators of sanitary protection with measures of water quality.

Enteric Pathogens in Stored Drinking Water and on Caregiver’s Hands in Tanzanian Households with and without Reported Cases of Child Diarrhea

BackgroundDiarrhea is one of the leading causes of mortality in young children. Diarrheal pathogens are transmitted via the fecal-oral route, and for children the majority of this transmission is thought to occur within the home. However, very few studies have documented enteric pathogens within households of low-income countries.Methods and FindingsThe presence of molecular markers for three enteric viruses (enterovirus, adenovirus, and rotavirus), seven Escherichia coli virulence genes (ECVG), and human-specific Bacteroidales was assessed in hand rinses and household stored drinking water in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Using a matched case-control study design, we examined the relationship between contamination of hands and water with these markers and child diarrhea. We found that the presence of ECVG in household stored water was associated with a significant decrease in the odds of a child within the home having diarrhea (OR = 0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.27–0.93). We also evaluated water management and hygiene behaviors. Recent hand contact with water or food was positively associated with detection of enteric pathogen markers on hands, as was relatively lower volumes of water reportedly used for daily hand washing. Enteropathogen markers in stored drinking water were more likely found among households in which the markers were also detected on hands, as well as in households with unimproved water supply and sanitation infrastructure.ConclusionsThe prevalence of enteric pathogen genes and the human-specific Bacteroidales fecal marker in stored water and on hands suggests extensive environmental contamination within homes both with and without reported child diarrhea. Better stored water quality among households with diarrhea indicates caregivers with sick children may be more likely to ensure safe drinking water in the home. Interventions to increase the quantity of water available for hand washing, and to improve food hygiene, may reduce exposure to enteric pathogens in the domestic environment.

Survey on Storage of Water for Domestic Use in Underground Reinforced Concrete Tanks: The Case of Brazzaville (Republic of Congo)

The problem of water supply from the public distribution network still poses very serious problems in many cities in developing countries. Intermittent water supply pushes some households to build underground reinforced concrete tanks for water storage to cope with unwanted water breaks. This study that relies on the results of a survey of households in some areas of the city of Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) aims to verify the importance that users attach to the quality of the works constructed. Indeed, the reliability of the tanks resulting in their impermeability to the external environment has a direct impact on the quality of stored water and therefore the use that is made of water daily. Five areas were selected because of their soil moisture. By 256 tanks identified, 143 are made of reinforced concrete and 113 in masonry. The coating materials used to seal the walls are preferably the earthenware tiles (64% of tanks), then the Sika cement (31%). Food painting (5%) is only rarely used. However, 66% of households are not assured of the potability of the water stored. A significant number of households (46%) think that the stored water could be contaminated with noxious substances seeping from the outside through the walls of the tanks. The issue of sealing of underground water tanks, especially in areas where the water table is shallow, seems concerned users.

Quality and disinfection trials of consumption water in storage reservoirs for rural area in the Marrakech region (Assif El Mal)

Traditional reservoirs for water storage are important systems of water supply in rural areas of Morocco. These reservoirs are fed by rainwater and/or directly from rivers through open channels; the stored water is used without any treatment as drinking water by the surrounding population. The present study aimed to assess the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of stored water and the corresponding sediment in six traditional reservoirs (R1 to R6) located in the rural municipality of Assif El Mal. We tested two inexpensive methods of disinfecting the stored water: chlorination and solar disinfection in bottles. The results show a rise of organic and mineral concentrations. Regarding bacteriological quality, a critical contamination level was detected (8 × 10(5) CFU/100 ml in water and 9 × 10(7) CFU/g in sediment) according to the 2002 Moroccan Standards for drinking water (0 CFU/100 ml). In the disinfection tests, chlorine disinfection removed all studied germs after just 1 hour, and the solar exposure process removed the majority of bacteria (after 3 hours) except those with a resistant form (Clostridia).

Physical, chemical and microbiological effects of suspended shade cloth covers on stored water for irrigation

The present study aims to identify the effect of installing Suspended Shade Cloth Covers (SSCCs) on the water quality of Agricultural Water Reservoirs (AWRs) for irrigation. Four AWRs located in the irrigated coastal plane of the Segura River Basin (south-eastern Spain) were monitored for 1 year. Two of them were covered with a black polyethylene SSCC, whereas the two others remained uncovered during the trial. The main physical, chemical and microbiological water quality parameters were monthly monitored with a multi-parametric instrument OTT-DS5 and water samples analysis. Additionally, a laboratory experiment replicating covered and uncovered AWR conditions was carried out to analyze the influence of water temperature and light intensity on the evolution of bacteria populations.The low transmitted solar radiation of the SSCC dramatically reduced the photosynthesis activity, limiting the algal bloom in covered AWRs. Despite this photosynthesis restriction and the lack of turbulence, the oxygen levels remained close to saturation in the covered AWRs as a result of the frequent water inflows. The installation of the cover also led to a reduction of 82% in Escherichia coli and faecal coliforms, partly due to the reduction of organic matter (mainly algae) and partly because of the lower water temperature. Data from the laboratory experiment confirmed the field results. Overall, the results show the implementation of SSCCs in AWRs produces significant effects in the stored water quality, which are mainly beneficial for irrigation purposes, especially in drip irrigation systems and when reclaimed water is reused.

Assessing rural small community water supply in Limpopo, South Africa: Water service benchmarks and reliability

Although a number of studies have reported on water supply improvements, few have simultaneously taken into account the reliability of the water services. The study aimed to assess whether upgrading water supply systems in small rural communities improved access, availability and potability of water by assessing the water services against selected benchmarks from the World Health Organisation and South African Department of Water Affairs, and to determine the impact of unreliability on the services. These benchmarks were applied in three rural communities in Limpopo, South Africa where rudimentary water supply services were being upgraded to basic services. Data were collected through structured interviews, observations and measurement, and multi-level linear regression models were used to assess the impact of water service upgrades on key outcome measures of distance to source, daily per capita water quantity and Escherichia coli count. When the basic system was operational, 72% of households met the minimum benchmarks for distance and water quantity, but only 8% met both enhanced benchmarks. During non-operational periods of the basic service, daily per capita water consumption decreased by 5.19l (p<0.001, 95% CI 4.06–6.31) and distances to water sources were 639m further (p≤0.001, 95% CI 560–718). Although both rudimentary and basic systems delivered water that met potability criteria at the sources, the quality of stored water sampled in the home was still unacceptable throughout the various service levels. These results show that basic water services can make substantial improvements to water access, availability, potability, but only if such services are reliable.

In-house contamination of potable water in urban slum of Kolkata, India: a possible transmission route of diarrhea

We have investigated and determined the potentiality of different water sources, both for drinking and domestic purposes, in diarrheal disease transmission in diarrhea endemic foci of urban slums in Kolkata, India in a one and half year prospective study. Out of 517 water samples, collected from different sources, stored water (washing) showed higher prevalence of fecal coliforms (58%) (p < 0.0001) in comparison with stored (drinking) samples (28%) and tap/tubewell water (8%) respectively. Among different sources, stored water (washing) samples had the highest non-permissible range of physico-chemical parameters. Fecal coliform levels in household water containers (washing) were comparatively high and almost 2/3 of these samples failed to reach the satisfactory level of residual chlorine. Interestingly, 7% stored water (washing) samples were found to be harboring Vibrio cholerae Improper usage of stored water and unsafe/poor sanitation practices such as hand washing etc. are highlighted as contributory factors for sustained diarrheal episodes. Vulnerability of stored water for domestic usage, a hitherto unexplored source, at domiciliary level in an urban slum where enteric infections are endemic, is reported for the first time. This attempt highlights the impact of quality of stored water at domiciliary level for fecal-oral contamination vis-à-vis disease transmission.

Effect of first flush on storage-reliability-yield of rainwater harvesting

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) entails capture of rainwater falling on a roof and conveyance to a storage tank for later use as domestic water supply. During dry weather, dust and pollutants accumulate on the roof surface and are subsequently washed off with the ‘first flush’ at the beginning of the next rain. Diverting the first flush can improve the quality of stored water but at the cost of reducing the reliability with which the system can supply water. A storage-reliability-yield (SRY) analysis of RWH was completed for Bisate, Rwanda for a period of 20 years with a range of normalized storage volumes and yields. Reliability expressed as days per year on which demand was met was determined for alternative first-flush strategies and compared to the reliability of an otherwise equivalent system without first-flush diversion. Diversion of the first flush was found to reduce reliability by at most 8%. Analysis of three existing RWH systems in Bisate indicates that a recommended 1 mm first-flush diversion would reduce the number of days the system meets demand by no more than 7 days per year.

Water quality with storage in permeable pavement basecourse

The harvesting, storage and reuse of stormwater from permeable pavement reservoirs provides an opportunity to alleviate water shortages in urban areas. Reservoirs may be filled with a range of basecourse aggregate materials that provide structural support to the pavement. The materials have the potential to affect the quality of stored water. This research investigated changes in water quality when water was stored in two types of basecourse aggregate. Synthetic stormwater was placed in permeable pavement reservoir models filled with dolomite aggregate or quartzite aggregate or control reservoirs with no aggregate. The influence of residence time was investigated by monitoring stored water quality for up to 144 h. Conductivity and pH increased in both aggregate-filled reservoirs. Total suspended solids and turbidity also increased in the aggregate-filled reservoirs, before falling to levels significantly lower than the control reservoirs. Levels of phosphorous and organic nitrogen were significantly lower in the aggregate-filled reservoirs after 144 h. Total zinc, copper and lead were reduced by 94–99% in the aggregate-filled reservoirs compared with the controls after 144 h storage.

Aquifer Storage and Recovery of Treated Sewage Effluent in the Middle East

Treated sewage effluent (TSE) is becoming a critical resource in arid parts of the world. The high costs of desalinated potable water and the depletion of fresh groundwater resources necessitate increased use of TSE as an important component of water resource management throughout the Middle East. TSE can replace potable-quality water in irrigation, with the latter becoming too valuable a resource to use for irrigation purposes. In urban regions of the Middle East and North Africa, excess TSE is often available because of seasonal variations in demand and supply or that the development of reuse infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth, concomitant water use and TSE generation. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) technology provides an opportunity to store large volumes of TSE for later beneficial use. Natural attenuation processes that occur during underground storage in an ASR system can also act to improve the quality of stored water and thus provide an opportunity to ‘polish’ already high-quality TSE. Aquifers containing brackish water or those depleted from over-pumping are present throughout much of the Middle East. These aquifers could potentially be used as storage zones for ASR systems. However, currently available hydrogeologic data are insufficient for assessment of potential system performance. Other key design issues are the selection of ASR system locations and storage zones so that TSE will not enter potable water supplies, and ensuring that the ASR systems will be readily integrated into existing or planned sewage treatment, TSE transmission and reuse infrastructure.

Performance of pervious pavement parking bays storing rainwater in the north of Spain

Pervious pavements are drainage techniques that improve urban water management in a sustainable manner. An experimental pervious pavement parking area has been constructed in the north of Spain (Santander), with the aim of harvesting good quality rainwater. Forty-five pervious pavement structures have been designed and constructed to measure stored water quantity and quality simultaneously. Ten of these structures are specifically constructed with different geotextile layers for improving water storage within the pavements. Following the confirmation in previous laboratory experiments that the geotextile influenced on water storage, two different geosynthetics (Inbitex and a One Way evaporation control membrane) and control pervious pavements with no geotextile layers were tested in the field. Weather conditions were monitored in order to find correlations with the water storage within the pervious pavement models tested. During one year of monitoring the three different pervious pavement types tested remained at their maximum storage capacity. The heavy rain events which occurred during the experimental period caused evaporation rates within the pervious pavements to be not significant, but allowed the researchers to observe certain trends in the water storage. Temperature was the most closely correlated weather factor with the level of the water stored within the pervious pavements tested.

Hands, Water, and Health: Fecal Contamination in Tanzanian Communities with Improved, Non-Networked Water Supplies

Almost half of the world's population relies on non-networked water supply services, which necessitates in-home water storage. It has been suggested that dirty hands play a role in microbial contamination of drinking water during collection, transport, and storage. However, little work has been done to evaluate quantitatively the association between hand contamination and stored water quality within households. This study measured levels of E. coli, fecal streptococci, and occurrence of the general Bacteroidales fecal DNA marker in source water, in stored water, and on hands in 334 households among communities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where residents use non-networked water sources. Levels of fecal contamination on hands of mothers and children were positively correlated to fecal contamination in stored drinking water within households. Household characteristics associated with hand contamination included mother's educational attainment, use of an improved toilet, an infant in the household, and dissatisfaction with the quantity of water available for hygiene. In addition, fecal contamination on hands was associated with the prevalence of gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms within a household. The results suggest that reducing fecal contamination on hands should be investigated as a strategy for improving stored drinking water quality and health among households using non-networked water supplies.

Effect of production variables on microbiological removal in locally-produced ceramic filters for household water treatment

Diarrhoeal diseases cause an estimated 1.87 million child deaths per year. Point-of-use filtration using locally made ceramic filters improves microbiological quality of stored drinking water and prevents diarrhoeal disease. Scaling-up ceramic filtration is inhibited by lack of universal quality control standards. We investigated filter production variables to determine their affect on microbiological removal during 5–6 weeks of simulated normal use. Decreases in the clay:sawdust ratio and changes in the burnable decreased effectiveness of the filter. Method of silver application and shape of filter did not impact filter effectiveness. A maximum flow rate of 1.7 l−hr was established as a potential quality control measure for one particular filter to ensure 99% (2- log10) removal of total coliforms. Further research is indicated to determine additional production variables associated with filter effectiveness and develop standardized filter production procedures prior to scaling-up.