ETHOS Technical Reports
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
9-1-2019
Abstract
During the summer of 2019, the ethos team traveled to Bolivia to work for the NGO Etta Projects. During their time they dedicated their time to creating a greywater filtration system for a Bolivian community located within the Amboro National Park. The team began by generating several design ideas for how to best clean greywater using the resources available within the surrounding communities and the Amboro jungle. The research was done using other successful greywater filters as inspiration. Many utilized sand and gravel to filter the water until it met the desired standard. The team's greywater system was to be designed around laundry water containing an excess of soap, a basic substance, so a pH test was decided to be the standard. In addition, many of the systems operating using gravity. This resulted in several ideas including a horizontal garden filter (Huhn 7) and a vertical shelf filter (Dighe 778). In addition, research found filters that made use of natural nutrients to improve water quality. Through discussion a sand-based shelf style system was decided upon with a layer to introduce nutrients, time was spent gathering necessary materials, constructing the filtration system, testing the water passed through the system, adjusting based on test outcomes and observations, and working to incorporate it into the community. During testing, some milestones were when the layer pieces had been constructed, the first pH test that met greywater standards, and when the structure was finally created. In addition to the greywater filtration system, time was spent on a variety of projects pertaining to the general upkeep of the community including cleaning, painting, gardening, handiwork, and construction.
eCommons Citation
Miller, Jenny and Williams, James Seamus, "Bolivia: Gray Water Filtration" (2019). ETHOS Technical Reports. 44.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/ethos_reports/44
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