Chlorination system for gravity water supply

In Madagascar on the high lands gravity piped water supply system is the main source of drinking water. The majority of these installations are not equipped with chlorination system or with costly process inappropriate to local conditions. Gret in the frame of Médéa Project (funded by EU water facility) reinforce the technical capacities of engineering and construction companies in charge of the installation of piped water supply system in order to improve the design, cost and construction process.

Current status

The situation of the village of Ambohibary (5000 habitants) give a good picture of the situation of the access of water on the high lands of Madagascar. 30% of the population have access to the water through an old (1960) piped gravity water supply without treatment of water coming from a river. The remaining population take water from an open spring and shallow wells highly polluted by coli with the presence of intensive livestock in the region and the use of pit latrines in the village. The treatment of water is essential to avoid water diseases.
A survey of existing chlorination systems proportional to the water flow show the availability of a single product in Madagascar using an electric injection pump of chlorine which is not appropriate to local conditions, very sensitive and expensive.

The transfer of technology will start by a first study (2 months), in Netherlands, of the existing model which will be purchased in France. A student on mechanical engineering with guided by a Practica mechanical engineer will produce a complete set of drawings from disassembling the system. Also he will provide an operation manual and instructions about sensitive parts.
In a second step (1,5 months) the drawings and the operation manual will be used to construct a prototype to Madagascar with local materials. The prototype will be installed on a new piped water gravity system to Ambohibary village of intervention of Gret. Gret will do the technical follow up of system in order to notice improvements of prototype before to launch a production and dissemination phase.

The main goal is the transfer of technology from Europe to Madagascar for the production of mechanical chlorination system with local materials. The prototype will ensure safe water supply of 8000 people through a piped water gravity system to Ambohibary village. The results of follow up of the prototype will establish the bases of a local standard production of a mechanical chlorination system in Madagascar. Gret through the reinforcement of capacities of local companies on the design and on the adoption of standards of construction of piped water gravity system will promote the dissemination of mechanical chlorination systems.

Goals

• Transfer of technology from europe to Madagascar
• Construction of a prototype of chlorination system
• 8000 people have acces to safe water

Gret in consultation with local partners and authorities (commune) will put in place a water management approach built on the recovering cost of the water produced, including maintenance, provision for repairs and return cost of investment. This sustainable mechanism will be based on the payment of water by the community , private and commercial client. The capacities of each level of actors involved in this process will be reinforced in order to ensure the sustainability of their own water resource and infrastructures.
After the testing phase of mechanical chlorination system the production could be handled by a workshop which will then be contracted out by Gret to supply chlorination system to be installed on the new piped water gravity systems of Médéa project. Benefits of this approach are a reduction in cost by establishing a local supplier promoted by the standard approach of design spread by Gret to companies involved in the construction of water gravity system.