Using Appropriate Technology Principles in the Design of a Remediation Device for the Removal of Bacteria and Toxic Metals for Use in Rural Uganda
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Description
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2.2 billion people worldwide lack reliable access to uncontaminated water as of 2019. Uganda is among the countries most heavily impacted by poor water quality. Current water filtration technologies are often too expensive or complex to be successfully implemented in the rural communities that are home to the vast majority of the population. A broader collaboration within the University of San Diego and international partners focuses on the design of a low cost, low maintenance water filtration system targeting bacterial and toxic heavy metal contamination. This appropriate technological approach holds the potential to secure long-term benefits in regard to water quality in both rural Ugandan communities and throughout the developing world. In consideration of appropriate technology for the user population, the filtration system design focuses on the use of locally available plants as viable filtration matrices and employs readily accessible materials and manufacturing techniques for Uganda. In support of the broader group effort, this project uses the engineering design methodology to evaluate whether the final design constitutes appropriate technology for the intended population. Considerations such as affordability, manufacturability, environmental and social sustainability, community engagement, and socio-cultural viability will serve as focal points of this engineering design analysis. On a broader scale, the potential for the device to be expanded and adapted to accommodate additional developing communities facing poor water quality will be explored.
Using Appropriate Technology Principles in the Design of a Remediation Device for the Removal of Bacteria and Toxic Metals for Use in Rural Uganda
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2.2 billion people worldwide lack reliable access to uncontaminated water as of 2019. Uganda is among the countries most heavily impacted by poor water quality. Current water filtration technologies are often too expensive or complex to be successfully implemented in the rural communities that are home to the vast majority of the population. A broader collaboration within the University of San Diego and international partners focuses on the design of a low cost, low maintenance water filtration system targeting bacterial and toxic heavy metal contamination. This appropriate technological approach holds the potential to secure long-term benefits in regard to water quality in both rural Ugandan communities and throughout the developing world. In consideration of appropriate technology for the user population, the filtration system design focuses on the use of locally available plants as viable filtration matrices and employs readily accessible materials and manufacturing techniques for Uganda. In support of the broader group effort, this project uses the engineering design methodology to evaluate whether the final design constitutes appropriate technology for the intended population. Considerations such as affordability, manufacturability, environmental and social sustainability, community engagement, and socio-cultural viability will serve as focal points of this engineering design analysis. On a broader scale, the potential for the device to be expanded and adapted to accommodate additional developing communities facing poor water quality will be explored.