SWAPNO: Safe Water - Advances in purification options

Water treatment solutions at household level are often not affordable for most households in Bangladesh. In addition, the loaded filter media generates toxic waste for which there are no suitable disposal systems. For this reason, filters are not considered a sustainable solution.

The SWAPNO project aims to establish a cost-effective, easy-to-use and sustainable water treatment system to remove multiple water contaminants at household level. It takes a holistic approach by considering not only drinking water but also the improvement of general hygienic conditions. To this end, it is planned to provide easy access to clean drinking and process water in the home. The second step is to investigate how these solutions affect health outcomes (e.g. diarrheal diseases). Environmental aspects such as the reusability of consumables (e.g. adsorber media) will also be investigated. This research is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the impact, acceptance and use of handwashing and filter systems for use in households in regions of South Asia with poor infrastructure, thereby improving the health situation of the people there in the long term.