PVC Sand Bio-Filter

A Design of Hope for Life

www.1Hope4Life.com

This is a step-by-step pictorial process of how you or anyone with a questionable water source
can begin living a healthier life. This filter was developed by the Hope for Life team of
missionaries in rural Nicaragua. It was developed as a church evangelism tool in response to
the fact that many people are drinking water that is contaminated and it is making them sick.
The main reasons for sickness from water are bacteria, protozoans and viruses. The filter we
developed is loosely based on a water system that was created in Canada about 20 years ago
using rocks, sand and a closed, sterile environment to clean drinking water of nearly all of the
organisms that make people sick. We have reinvented the design so that it can be
manufactured anywhere in the world using limited funds and tools. In addition, the design
allows for parts to be easily replaced for little money should they break.

Jesus said that he was the living water in John 4:14 (NIV) when he said, “but whoever drinks the
water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of
water welling up to eternal life.” We at Hope for Life agree. Our project is aimed at giving local
churches a tool to evangelize while meeting the spiritual needs of their neighbors, and also to
help improve their physical health in the process. Once a filter is placed in a home, the
preacher or representative of the local church has access to that home, allowing them to foster
relationships with each returning visit to check and monitor on the filter. Feel free to check out
more about our project at www.1Hope4Life.com.
Materials needed:

PVC cement
1 – 5 gallon bucket
1 – 3.5 liter bucket with lid (or equivalent to fit snugly inside the 6 inch PVC pipe – see photos below)
Sand and Gravel as described below in the first instruction
Approximately 4 meters of Nylon Screen (like used for screen doors) with Duct tape “handles”
Nail or drill bit
Heat source – lighter, torch, etc.
Drill with 7/32 bit
Wood (or any suitable material), nails, and hammer to build a 1 foot square concrete form
5 lbs. Concrete mix
1/3 Cup bleach
PVC pipes and fittings (make sure all PVC is rated for drinking/potable water):
 2 - 90 degree ½inch PVC elbows
 1 - ½ inch PVC end cap
 1 - 45 degree ½ inch PVC elbow
 1 - ½ inch PVC pipe, 45 ½ inches in length
 1 - 6 inch PVC water pipe, 39 inches in length
 1 - 6 inch PVC end cap

Instructions:

First, collect some sand and rocks. The source doesn’t matter; what does matter is the size you will
need. Collect the following:
- 1 inch size rocks (3-5cm) – enough to fill your 3.5 liter bucket half way
- Pea gravel (½ - 1 cm) – enough to fill your 3.5 liter bucket half way
- Sand – enough to fill your 5 gallon bucket (We find that .07mm sand works best)
Next, use the nylon screen and water to clean your rocks. Pour the water over the ricks while agitating
the rocks in the screen. Be sure to keep the 1 inch and pea gravel separated. Use a double or triple
layer of screen for this (we use duct tape on the corners for handles). It may take three people to do this.
Once the water runs clear the rocks are ready.

Separate the sand:

 ¾ of the 5 gallon bucket will be used in the filter
 ¼ of the 5 gallon bucket will be used to mix a small batch of concrete later in the process.

Over a 5 gallon bucket clean the large batch of sand using the same cleaning process that you used with
the rocks. This will separate the fine and course sand. Once the water runs clean the course sand is
ready. Keep the course sand for later.
The fine sand will collect in the bucket and needs to be cleaned further. With your hand, swish the sand
around and run water in the bucket until all the water runs clean.

Now we will begin constructing the filter.

Cut the ½ inch PVC pipe into three different lengths:
- 4 ½ inches
- 12 inches
- 29 inches

The 4 ½ inch piece will need to have 20-30 holes drilled into it using the 7/32 bit. See picture for
example.
Glue the end cap to the 6 inch PVC pipe. These are the only pieces you will glue together.

A hole will need to be made in the 6 inch PVC pipe. First, mark the pipe 9 inches from the top.
Next, heat up a nail or a drill bit and puncture the PVC to make this hole.

Then, hold a lighter or a flame source under the hole and heat up the spot on the 6 inch pipe. Don’t hold
for too long, only about 15-20 seconds.

Finally, push the 12 inch piece of PVC into the hot spot and leave it there until it cools, then remove to
reveal the hole. These steps are important in order to ensure a tight fit.
Assemble the ½ inch PVC pieces together as shown in the picture. This is only a dry fit; do not glue
them.

Build your concrete form base. A 1 foot square form works best. We use wood for this, but use what you
have available. Mix the concrete using the sand you set aside in the beginning (the unwashed ¼ of the 5
gallon bucket) and concrete mix.
Verify that the large cap and 6 inch PVC pipe are securely glued together. Put the 6 inch PVC pipe into
the form, cap down, and fill with concrete.

Put the ½ inch PVC pipe into filter as shown. Attach the 12 inch piece of 1/2” PVC by pushing it through
the hole that you made, and using the other 90 degree elbow, attach it to the vertical PVC inside the filter.

While holding your hand or something else over the outflow pipe (to stop the water from coming out), fill
the filter with water and 1/3 cup of bleach. Note: this is the only time that bleach should be used in the
filter.

Leave the water and bleach in the filter and put the larger, 1 inch rocks that you cleaned earlier into the
filter covering the pipe with holes in it.

Place the smaller pea gravel that you cleaned earlier on top of the 1 inch rocks.
Fill the filter up with water until the water runs out of the spout pipe. This will help the sand settle
properly. Once the filter is full of water, begin slowly adding the course sand into the filter. Stop adding
the sand in the filter when the top of the sand is about 5 inches below the ejection pipe. Now, put the fine
sand into the filter until it is an inch below the ejection pipe.

Drill 8 holes using the 7/32 bit into the bottom of the 3.5 liter bucket. NOTE: The above picture is for
reference only – it has more than the 8 holes needed.

Place the 3.5 liter bucket with lid into the top of the filter.

You are now finished constructing your new filter!

The filter should be used at least once a day, with a minimum of 10 liters of water. The rate of flow of
water from the filter should be between 1 and 1.3 liters/minute. You can adjust the rate of flow by adding
or removing fine sand as needed.

It is important that you always keep the bucket in the filter with the lid on. Removing it will disturb the bio-
layer that will build up. It will take about three weeks for the bio-layer to be in full effect. But, a noticeable
difference in your water will occur almost immediately. Please be aware that this filter is designed to
drastically reduce if not eliminate biological contaminates. It does not address chemicals that may be
found in your source water.

How to clean your filter when it is clogged or no longer maintains a flow rate that fills a 10 liter bucket in
20 minutes or less:
1. Remove bucket
2. Gently add water to the top of the filter
3. With a long spoon or stick gently scrape the top of the surface of the sand and swirl the water.
4. Remove this water with a cup and discard the water.
5. Repeat the above steps until the filter is flowing at a steady rate.
6. Smooth the sand until it is flat.
7. Replace bucket and use as normal
Note: the water coming out may look dirtier than normal for the first 15-20 liters. If this occurs,
discard the dirty water and wait to resume drinking the water until it runs clear.

After six months to a year, the flow rate of the filter may come to a stop. This is due to the buildup of the
bio-layer. We recommend you remove the top layer of sand (apx. 4 inches). You can either clean the
sand that you remove or replace it with new, clean sand.