Question 1

How long has this particular type of water filtration tank been used in schools?

Accepted Answer

ISZA first began working with YourAid (https://www.youraid.org.au/)on the Buddhist Library Cambodia Project (BLCP) t(https://www.youraid.org.au/about-us-copy)o deliver clean drinking water to rural Cambodian schools with these filters in 2020.

Ultrafiltration (UF) water treatment systems are utilized due to the following benefits:
 • Simple: UF filters require minimal maintenance or knowledge to operate - they have super small pores which prevent pathogens from passing into the output.
 • Cost-effective: each system is less than $1,000 USD delivered and installed.
 • Reliable: UF reliably removes bacteria, pathogen and viruses for many years.
 • Scalable: UF can treat enough water for hundreds of people, something most other cost-effective water treatment technologies fail to accomplish.

Question 2

From the initial implementation until now, approximately how many units of this type of water filtration tank have been installed?

Accepted Answer

• 300 treatment systems have been delivered and installed. 
 • 60 units are currently in fabrication.
 • $9,500 is all that is needed for an additional 10 units in 10 different schools.

Question 3

What water quality is produced by these filtration systems?

Accepted Answer

• The filters produce water that exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) standard by 10 times!
    • The final water has less than 0.5 NTU turbidity (high turbidity = more particles)
    • The WHO standard being 5.0 NTU turbidity (10x more than minimum result).

Question 4

How difficult is the maintenance of the filtration tanks?

Accepted Answer

• Filtration tank maintenance is simple - simply flush the system for 2 minutes, once per day in the morning for optimal results.
 • A chlorine solution can also be used every 6 months for long-term mainetance. 
 • The cleaning solution and instructions/education are provided with each system.
 • Filtration tanks are inspected and serviced on an ongoing basis by YourAid. 
 • Locals are also trained to perform the inspection to increase efficiency and system reliability

Question 5

Which parts tend to malfunction or require replacement most frequently and what are the costs to repair them?

Accepted Answer

• The pump is most sensitive component of the system.
    • Malfunction is often due to a manufacture defect and often occurs soon after installation.
    • Each pump comes with a 1-year warranty. 
    • Replacement after the warranty expires is $105 (USD).
    • No systems installed within the last 2 years have had pump malfunctions. 
 • The filter membrane is the second most sensitive component
    • Damage is typically due to improper maintenance or poor source water quality.
    • Rain or ground water use typically allows for > 5 year filter lifetimes.
    • If pond water is used, the filter membrane will need to be replaced more frequently (every few years). Prefilters can extend this longevity.
    • A replacement membrane filter costs $150 (USD).

Donations in Action

Happy students in Cambodia

School staff after installation

Equipment operator training

Treatment system & storage tank

Simple UF system & pump

UF filters ready to be shipped

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