Charcoal/Bio-sand Water Filter made from Garbage Cans? Part 1

the first of a 3 part video series on how we made a charcoal/bio-sand water filter, and installed it to filter water from a shallow well - which will be pumped to the filter via a DIY wind powered diaphragm pump.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• charcoal
• bacteria
• bio-sand
• water
• water filter
• garbage can
• clean water
• carbon
• filter
• sand
• water harvesting
• water conservation
• pump
• water pump
• diaphragm pump
• wind
• wind power
• windmill
• wind turbine
• well
• shallow well
• well water
• rain water
• rain water collection

[eizrah]

in your finds; how often do you need to feed your bed to maintain its last (or possibly continued improvement) of ripening? also, what is the procedure for the first 2-3 weeks?

[lad18913290]

@eizrah lol, no worries - questions are good, especially when it comes to safe drinking water. the biological layer is a completely natural occurrence. the colony will develop within the first few weeks on it's own based the bacteria already present in the water - providing the water isn't perfectly clean, which would defeat the purpose of course. to keep the colony fed well with parasites AND oxygen (a must), then there needs to be an almost constant flow of water into the filter...(cont...)

[lad18913290]

@eizrah ...(cont...) which can be achieved with a float installed in the filter to activate a pump that would pump water when the level drops to a specific level in the top of the filter; as well an overflow drain would be a wise precaution to prevent an undesired mess. you can tell a bio layer is forming when you can see a brownish colored slim developing on the surface and within the top few centimeters of the sand media. if the colony doesn't get the required 'nutrients'...(cont...)

[lad18913290]

@eizrah ...(cont...) and or oxygen, then the bacteria will start to die within as little as a few hours. if, after construction, a bad odor develops in the filter - similar to rotten eggs - then the good bacteria have died and bad coliform bacteria have taken over and compromised the filter, which is why I stress to have the water tested before you drink it, and only after the filter has been in operation and ample time is allowed for a colony of good bacteria to form naturally.

[eizrah]

so assuming you are filtering well water, what is the cleaning/replacing of material protocall? time till needed and method? ive seen some with a backwash nozzle on the gravity poor, granted it kills the bacteria but how often would you want to flush it.

[lad18913290]

@eizrah ...(cont...) but unless the water is contaminated with a chemical, petro or some other toxic inorganic substance that the colony can't feed on and the sand/charcoal won't trap, then the water that comes out is perfectly fine to drink. BUT, it's always best to have a sample of it tested before you drink it, and you should wait until the colony is well established and the filter has been working for a couple of weeks before you have the water tested to ensure the most accurate results

[lad18913290]

@wower8901

yeah, I thought about that, but i decided the video was lengthy enough. sorry, i'm not an expert film maker, just trying to share info...the pause button is a great tool ;)

thx for checkin' it out!

[porkypine745]

Great video man.

[lad18913290]

@eizrah ...(cont...) once a month to keep the flow rate high. I would replace or clean the entire contents of the filter at least once a year. remember, it's the colony that does most of the work - they will destroy up to %99 of all bad bacteria that comes in it's path. the remaining layers of charcoal and rock that i put at the bottom of this particular filter are just added precaution and help to keep the sand from entering and plugging up the plumbing...(cont...)

[lad18913290]

@eizrah ...(cont...) because some slow sand filters, like this one, are made with multiple layers of varied materials, and back washing often times causes these materials to mix and disturbs the operating parameters of the system; also, if back washing is done with the bio-layer established, then it tends to get buried under the sand that gets stirred up from below and this can cause serious blockage with time. as far as how often to clean, I personally would wet harrow at least...(cont...)