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This study was initiated with the aim of
helping the rural population to easily make raw surface water
potable for their well-being. For this purpose, a manual prototype
including a sand filtration process was tested. Moreover, the tests
were conducted during dry and rainy seasons and repeated 2 years.
First, principal component analysis analysis showed that turbidity,
conductivity and temperature were more important in dry than rainy
seasons. Second, chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate and phosphate
were abundant in rainy periods. When 14 m3 of water passed through
the filter, 8 m3 (57.14%) had a final turbidity drop from 0.12 to
0.6 nephelometric turbidity unit. Also, 96.74, 98.32, 64.15, 9.92,
80 and 75% abatement rates, respectively, for COD, turbidity,
nitrate, temperature, calcium carbonate and Mg2+ were observed.
Similarly, 90.86, 91.66 and 9.53, respectively, for conductivity,
Ca2+ and pH improvement rates were obtained. In addition, aerobic
mesophilic germs, Escherichia coli and streptococci reduction rates,
whose were respectively 94.03, 100 and 95.65% proved that the
prototype including a sand filtration process was an alternative to
improve the lake water quality. |
