Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Getting the most out of water

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Getting the most out of water
  • Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 19:26:32 -0800


<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4048719.stm>

Bottle it up
In northern Brazil, residents in the town of Oroba are using an altogether
different method in order to purify water and prevent disease.
The town's inhabitants have taken to a surprisingly simple process called
Sodis (Solar Water Disinfection Process).
There are several stages to Sodis. Firstly, a clean, two-litre bottle needs
to be filled up to three-quarters of its volume with water.
The bottle is shaken for 20 seconds to oxygenate the water. Then, the rest of
the bottle is filled and the top screwed on.
Woman purifying water, TVE Sodis is particularly suitable for communities on
the equator
It is then placed on a rooftop in direct sunlight for six hours. The ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun's rays eliminates virtually all disease-causing bacteria, viruses and micro-organisms.
"This method is very efficient if you follow the simple procedures," says Professor Jose Euclides Paternini of the Unicamp University, Sao Paolo.
"The Sodis method can be used in many countries, but especially those close to the equator with high solar radiation, and where the population has no access to conventional water treatment."

People's grid
The mountainous Da Bac province, outside Hanoi, is home to the Muong indigenous ethnic group. Many are rice farmers and few can afford the electricity from the new pylons that line the valleys. Instead, they are turning to a low-priced alternative.
Pico Hydro is a small-scale version of conventional hydro-electric power generation. The streams at the bottom of the valleys are powering a low-tech grid for the people of Da Bac.
Pico Hydro units need only a constant water supply and a slope with a one-metre drop. This produces a flow rate that can drive a turbine fast enough to generate electricity, providing houses with a direct power supply.
Pico Hydro turbine, TVE
Pico Hydro is a small-scale version of hydroelectric power
In some villages nearly every household has one. Imported 300-watt turbines
cost about US$20, and have proved to be the most popular.
Vietnam has the world's highest uptake of Pico Hydro, with 120,000 units
installed so far.




  • [permaculture] BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Getting the most out of water, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 11/28/2004

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page