2011 EWB Challenge Design Brief - Engineers Without Borders UK

Design Areas 4- Water Supply and Sanitation Systems
This design area would develop the skills and knowledge of design groups in the area of chemical engineering, fluid mechanics, or purification processes. The issues that
would need to be addressed in this design area include the management, distribution, and purification of water for the community. Students interested in this project area
could also look at issues associated with maintaining good sanitation practices in the community through education, improved infrastructure, and proper waste management.
Project Statement
Access to clean drinking water is an important issue that needs to be addressed in the Devikulam community. Providing access to more clean drinking
water and preventing the contamination of existing supplies would be the key aim of this project area. Devikulam also needs proper infrastructure
and education programs in place in order to stop open defecation practices and ensure that human waste is disposed of properly. This is important for
preventing outbreaks of disease due to poor sanitation which is currently a major problem throughout India.
Considerations
When designing a solution, the following issues have been identified and should be considered a priority. The proposal should consider:
• The effect that any chemicals used will have on the environment.
• Cultural beliefs and practices of the people living in the community.
• Cost associated with implementing any proposal.
• Infrastructure already in place for water and sanitation.
Suggested Projects
EWB and Pitchandikulam Forest invite you to consider one or more of the following design projects:
• Cost effective rainwater capture and storage system.
• Develop a reliable water delivery system that would be accessible throughout the day.
• Propose a method of reducing bacterial contamination from the village pond.
• Water consumption efficiency measures.
• Determine a method for the reduction of salinity in the water.
• Toilet waste treatment systems e.g. waste bio-digester systems.
• Determine a method to distil the bore water for consumption.
• Develop a proposal for a biomass system.
• Develop a cost effective pump to reduce the cost of implementing a pond and baffle reactor.
Further Information
http://www.ewb.org.au/watersupplyandsanitationsystems
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