permaculture

[loren luyendyk <loren@sborganics.com>]

Hi Cory-

BioSand filtration offers the most complete and cheapest way to filter water 
that I have found.  The Center for Affordable Water Sanitation Technologies 
(CAWST: http://www.cawst.org/en/themes/biosand-filter) has done 15 years of 
reasearch on materials and residence time.  CAWST is doing work in Haiti with 
cholera prevention 
(http://www.cawst.org/en/about-us/news/271-update-from-haiti). 
 They have reported only one case in the villages that filters were 
installed.  They may be good to contact for in-country partners.

The filter is made from cement, sand, sheet metal, and some plastic tubing, 
all locally available in most parts of the world, for very little expense.  
The model they have developed is suitable for a single household, though it 
is scalable for larger installations.  The two most important factors are the 
type of sand and washing practice (river sand- don't wash out all of the 
silt), residence time of water in the filter (10+? hours), and filter media 
(schmutzdecke layer of algae and micro-orgs that consume pathogens).  The 
filter takes about 3 weeks to "mature", so is a medium term solution.

Boiling and SODIS (solar disinfection) also may help in emergency situations 
where a filter is not yet installed.  I also heard that Opuntia ficus-indica 
(prickly pear) will disinfect water if the pads are crushed and mixed in.  
Also water chestnut by the same method.

Coconut water from young fruit is the best electrolyte known to man.  It may 
help to re-hydrate, though in large quantities the young meat can be a 
laxative.

good work-
Loren Luyendyk
(805) 452-8249
www.sborganics.com
www.surferswithoutborders.org




> Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:04:35 -0800
> From: cory8570@yahoo.com
> To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: [permaculture] PReventing and treating cholera, advice
> 
> I posted some info on preventing and treating cholera and am looking for 
> feedback (for accuracy) and also more suggestions. I am looking for the 
> simplest and most accessible methods. There are plenty of plastic bottles 
> lying around from the disaster relief effort, there are various plants with 
> saponins in Haiti - moringa and soap nut, etc. Couldn't find any examples 
> of acacia concinna in Haiti - anybody else know of it? Or of any other 
> plant that could be used for soap? Anybody want to pitch in with water 
> filter ideas for larger amounts of water, made with local materials? 
> 
> Anybody have rehydration techniques using local plants? 
> 
> I intend to get this distributed to a number of non profits in Haiti I know 
> of, and anywhere else. 
> 
> http://www.permacultureguild.us/how-to-prevent-and-treat-cholera/
> 
> Cory
> 
> 
>       
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