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School Water Purification Project Plan

The document outlines a school-based project addressing the issue of limited access to safe drinking water in Unit A Chitungwiza, which has led to outbreaks of diarrheal diseases. It proposes designing a simple water purification system using locally available materials to provide clean water. The selected method for purification is filtration, with a focus on ensuring effective decontamination through extended contact time with charcoal.

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Samson
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314 views10 pages

School Water Purification Project Plan

The document outlines a school-based project addressing the issue of limited access to safe drinking water in Unit A Chitungwiza, which has led to outbreaks of diarrheal diseases. It proposes designing a simple water purification system using locally available materials to provide clean water. The selected method for purification is filtration, with a focus on ensuring effective decontamination through extended contact time with charcoal.

Uploaded by

Samson
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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SCHOOL BASED PROJECT

COMBINED SCIENCE FORM 4


STAGE 1: PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

The problem
- Limited access to safe drinking
water in Unit A Chitungwiza
causing diarrheal diseases.
Problem description
- Due to erratic water supply by the city council,
residents have limited access to clean, safe
drinking water. Some of the drilled boreholes have
also been condemned due to contamination
caused by infiltration of raw sewage into domestic
water reticulation systems. Consequently, there
has been rampant outbreaks of waterborne
diseases.
Statement of intent
- To design a simple water purification
system using locally available materials
to provide clean safe water for a healthy
society.
Design specifications
- Locally available materials eg sand, stones of
different sizes, clay, charcoal and clean
empty 2 or 5litre container
- The coarse materials are placed at the top
while the finest is at the bottom.
- Charcoal is placed in a separate container.
STAGE 2:INVESTIGATION OF RELATED IDEAS

- Reverse osmosis - Chlorination


- Biological treatment - Ion exchange
- Boiling - Distillation
- Ultraviolet light - Coagulation
- Activated carbon - Sedimentation
- Filtration
STAGE 3: GENERATION OF IDEAS

METHOD STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES


Wastes water
Effective
Removes beneficial mineral ions
Improves taste and odor
Reverse osmosis Slow water flow
Low maintenance
Requires electricity
Cost effective
Membrane replacement

Energy intensive
No chemicals required Slow
Simple and low-cost Requires careful maintenance
Distillation
Long-lasting equipment Can be affected by contaminants
Highly effective Can be expensive
Requires storage
GENERATION OF IDEAS continued…….

METHOD STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES


Effective against chlorine and volatile organic Can be saturated
compounds Not effective against all contaminants
Filtration Improves taste and odor May not remove all particulate matter
Easy maintenance Can be affected by pH levels
Low Cost Can become clogged

Energy intensive
Slow
No chemicals required
Requires careful maintenance
Ultraviolet Long-lasting equipment
Can be affected by contaminants
Highly effective
Can be expensive
Requires storage
STAGE 4: SELECTING THE MOST SUITABLE SOLUTION
Method of choice: Filtration
STAGE 5:REFINEMENT OF SELECTED IDEA

- Water must not just run through the filter for


effective decontamination. There is need for a
way to make the water stay in the charcoal for an
extended period of time to allow for chemical
reactions to occur. This will ensure that
pathogens are destroyed making the water safe
for consumption without having to boil it.

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