Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in Muntinlupa City for the beta testing of the latest water filter technology developed by the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) of DOST.
The project was named Production and Performance Testing of Ceramic Pot-typed Water Filter. DOST-ITDI’s goal is to develop an efficient, steady, low price and easy to use water distillation system that can improve the quality of drinking water particularly in areas where access clean water is difficult.
The first recipient of the water system was Southville 3 residents in Muntilupa. DOST Secretary Mario Montejo stated that the project is in line with DOST’s force to make local technology works for the people and to provide some solutions to the problems of the country today. He added that potable water is one of the major development concerns of President Aquino. The agency hopes that they can roll this out to other communities nationwide. The water purification system (WPS) is an innovation that consists of a container and filtering medium, which is the ceramic pot filter (CPF). The ceramic filter is made up of red clay which is covered with nano-colloidal silver which acts as the anti-microbial agent that substitutes the chlorination process in usual water filter systems. The ceramic pot typically sits or hangs on the top of a large plastic container that is fixed with a valve at the bottom. A cover is placed on top of the filter to avoid contamination. ITDI scientists proved the system is capable to purify tap water, deep well water, and raw water tainted with up to 3% suspended particles or silt and convert these into safe drinking water. The water filter has accepted by the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for drinking water in terms of microbiological and chemical analysis. According to Nuna Almanzor, ITDI Director, the cost per unit was measured in the development of the water filter.
Almanzor said that the ceramic filter is easy to make, portable, inexpensive, user friendly, and made of local clay that accepts the required physical properties of ceramic pot filters. Almanzor added that the project will also provide jobs to pottery makers in the country. She said that DOST is willing to train possible manufacturers of the ceramic filters to provide additional jobs for Filipinos.
ITDI is waiting for feedbacks from the beta test, possible improvement and cutting down of production costs, the agency will fabricate the CPF units to roll out to other NHA identified beneficiaries. At present, the units are easy to install, handle, maintain and reasonably priced. NHA General Manager, Atty. Chito Cruz, said that NHA is very honored to work with DOST for the project. [via gmanews.tv]