Diarrheal disease is prevalent in Bangladesh and is thought to be killing tens of thousands of children there every year. During the rainy season from June to September, heavy and widespread flooding increases microbiological contamination of surface water.

It is estimated that there are upwards of 9 million tube-wells supplying households daily drinking water throughout rural Bangladesh. The problem is so wide-spread that many do not have alternative safe water sources. In a separate report, Wagtech have estimated that there are some 100 million people affected in the arsenic prone areas throughout the region.

Many experts within the industry have now long been working hard to find alternative methods that can provide safe water to local communities, free of microbes and arsenic. Household level options such as rainwater, deep tubewells and surface water are being promoted by aid agencies and advocacy groups as an arsenic free alternative. Unlike water supply improvement strategies, household water treatment strategies avoid the recognised problem of increasing levels of water contamination during transport of water from the source to the home.

What can be done?

Operated through the Wagtech Regional Training Centre in Bangladesh, the Chulli Water Purifier is a household technology which provides an abundance of safe drinking without using chemicals or additional energy.

The Chulli Water Purifier utilizes existing heat sources used by the household for cooking to completely destroy all pathogens found in water. This allows the household to easily purify available surface water for drinking. It incorporates a simple aluminum coil which is easily built into the traditional mud cooking stove used throughout Asia and many other countries. In Bangladesh, this cooking stove is called “Chulli”. While cooking, temperatures easily reach over 300°C. A plastic bucket with 15 kg of normal sand is used to filter the input water taking out algae and other turbidity causing matter. The water then simply flows through the aluminum coil (4 coils) and is exposed to the heat of the fire where it is vaporised in the coil and exits the system through the output pipe and plastic faucet at 68 to 70°C. The system provides about 30 liters of clean, safe water per hour for a household.

INGOs, NGOs implementing WATSAN Projects can incorporate the Chulli Water Purifier as a low cost, safe water household option. The Chulli Water Purifier can also be used as a good backup option for communities using Pond Sand Filters, rainwater systems, etc, to insure purification of the collected water. This system consists of the simple water in-water out concept and eliminates the need to use chemicals. All components of the CWP are locally available in most countries.

The Chulli Water Purifier safe water system is currently being produced in Bangladesh from 100% locally available materials. It is anticipated that the system can be easily adapted in many Asian and potentially African countries where the rural and urban poor cook using traditional methods. The technology can be used by any INGO or NGO organization who is implementing a safe water programme. Therefore, expansion is easy to every un-served area will be simple and easy.

Implementation: Installation and training with The Dhaka Project

The system prompted interest by The Dhaka Project (TDP), an organisation which provides free education, health care and community support for nearly 500 children from the slums of Dhaka. Staff from Wagtech travelled to Gawair earlier this year, and showed staff from TDP how to install the chulli water treatment system. A working model was installed at a group of houses close to TDP office so that families could be called more easily to attend education and information sessions. Installation took place on Friday 21st August 2009, a local holiday.

“We are very grateful for the time given by Wagtech staff David Nunley, Asia Pacific Rim Representative , Mr Ali Ashraf, Proprietor and Shoed for taking the time to travel to Gawair and supervise installation as well as donating the original test chulli water treatment system”.

More information on this subject can be found throughout the Wagtech Global Ideas website. Wagtech are continually investing in arsenic testing technology. Several years ago, Wagtech released the Digital Arsenator; the worlds only hand held digital arsenic detection test kit that measures in the critical range of 2-100ppb (parts-per-billion). Various other products and alternative methods have been developed, and the company is determined to make low cost detection a reality across Bangladesh and all other affected parts of the world.

Related articles:

Household environmental health: Water Pasteurization through Improved Cooking Stove (WAPIC)
Source [online]: http://www.irc.nl/page/43720

A Novel Water Purifier – Chulli
Source [online]: http://www.mfislam.co.cc/

BANGLADESH: Arsenic detector saving lives.
Source [online]: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79160