Purification of water on a small scale

Dr. Saurabh Kumar Assistant Professor Department of Community Medicine

Boiling
Roll boil of 10 to 20 minutes No residual protection

Chemical disinfection
Bleaching powder Chlorine solution High test hypochlorite Chlorine tablets Iodine Potassium Permanganate

Bleaching powder
1000 litre of water:2.3 g Bleaching powder(33% available chlorine) 0.5 mg/litre at the end of one hour HOCl main agent

Chlorine solution
4 kg of bleaching powder with 25 % available chlorine mixed with 20 litres of water gives 5 % solution of chlorine.

High test Hypochlorite

60 to 70 percent available chlorine 1 g for 1000 litres of water

Chlorine tablets
0.5 mg tablet in 20 litres of water

Iodine
2 drops of 2% ethanol solution of iodine for one litre of water Contact time 20 to 30 minutes Cons KMnO4: No longer recommended nowadays

Filtration
Candle: Porcelain------Chamberland type Kieselgurh------Berkefeld filter Silver-------Katadyn

Ultraviolet ET radiation
120 mm thick film of water to UV 254nm wavelength The water should be free from turbidity and suspended constituents for efficient disinfection Pros and cons

Multistage reverse osmosis

Reduces the total dissolved solids, hardness, heavy metals and disease causing bacteria, virus, protozoa and cysts. Clarity cartridge removes the suspended solids and rest removed by the RO catridge

Disinfection of wells
Find the volume of water Find the amount of bleaching powder required for disinfection Dissolve bleaching powder in water Delivery of chlorine solution into the well Contact period Orthotolidine arsenite test