AguaClara Drinking Water Treatment Plant Requirements

For an AguaClara water Treatment plant there are both technical and social requirements that need to be met in order to ensure its proper functioning and sustainability. The technical requirements ensure that water treatment is necessary, that there is sufficient water, and that after treatment it will be potable. The social aspects look to ensure that the community is interested in this technology as well as organized and committed to the project.

Technical Requirements

• Flow rate requirement between 6 and 100 L/s (in Honduras this corresponds to a population size of between 1500 and 30,000 people). Note that we are working to extend this flow rate range in both directions to accommodate a wider range of community sizes.
• Water source with turbidity frequently above 5 NTU
• Water quality issues limited to turbidity and pathogens.
• Ideally the water supply network is designed such that a single water treatment plant can serve the entire community. Neighborhood taps or kiosk operation has not yet been tested.
• Ideally the water source is at a higher elevation than the community. In this case the entire system can be designed to be powered by gravity. If the water source is not at a high enough elevation then pumping must be included and the maintenance costs will be higher. AguaClara does not currently provide design guidance for pumped systems.

Community Requirements for an AguaClara Drinking Water Treatment Plant

• Well organized water board responsible for maintenance and operation of the water supply system
• Community agreement to raise the water tariff to finance the plant operation
• Community agreement to provide labor and materials for construction of the water treatment plant
• That the community is conscious of their water quality problems and are motivated to solve them.
• That there is an organization responsible for the operation and maintenance of the water system - Ideally a Water Board
• That the community is willing to raise the water tariff. Raising the water tariff is necessary in order to keep the plant functioning. Without a raise in the water tariff or some other means to pay an operator and buy chemicals the plant will not be sustainable.
• That the community enters into a written agreement in support of the project. This agreement will define the roles and responsibilities of each party. It will serve as a guide for the execution of the project and will be used to prevent and settle disputes.
• That the community contributes the unskilled labor and local materials for the construction of the plant. Having the community contribute part of the plant is necessary to show the interest of the community in the project and to help develop a sense of ownership.
• That the municipality supports the project. It is important to get the support of the local government for the project. This makes the leaders of the community aware of the project and offers additional funding. This also helps to bring together the local government and the organization responsible for the water system.

Selecting the First Community for a Demonstration Project

Demonstration projects are critical for expanding the deployment of AguaClara technologies to new regions. It is very important that the first community be selected with great care. The first community should be located within 1 hour of the implementation partners headquarters. The first water treatment plant should be a small facility so that the project costs are not so high for the first project. We recommend a plant flow rate of less than 12 L/s. It is very important that the community have sufficient economic capacity and willingness to pay the increased water tariff. The community must be well organized and motivated to obtain safe drinking water. The site for the AguaClara plant must have road access and if road access is not already in place, the road construction must be included in the project.
The first water treatment plant will be visited by government officials, donors, aid organizations and municipal leaders. It is important that the facility be designed for ease of access and to provide good publicity and visibility for the AguaClara program.