Why Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter?
Proven Technology
The technology is based on centuries old slow sand filtration technology and grew out of work conducted in Nicaragua in the early 1990’s by Dr. David Manz of the University Of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and a leading water expert. Introduction of slow sand filtration technology to American cities in the early 20th century was the primary factor responsible for the massive declines in infant mortality and waterborne disease seen during the development transition of the United States (Cutler, D. and Miller, G. 2005. The role of public health improvements in health advances: the 20th-century Unites States. Demography. 42(1):1-22).
Dr. Manz scaled down the community sized slow sand filtration technology that relied on a continuous flow of water to ensure effective treatment to a engineered plastic home sized filter designed for intermittent use and patented the design under U.S. Patent Numbers 5993672 and 6123858. The medical-grade plastic is FDA approved for drinking water, UV resistant unit is easy to transport at just 3.6kg (8 pounds), is easily transported and allows families to access at a very low cost a home water treatment system with an estimated life of the filter is beyond 10 years.
The Hydraid®BioSand Filter technology is ranked best overall technology for the developing world by industry expert, Mark Sobsey of the University of North Carolina. Sustainability is defined as the ability of produce a sufficient quantity of low cost safe water, in a reasonable length of time, with simple maintenance requirements.
With 34 efficacy, health impact and lab studies, you can be assured of the safety, quality and effeteness of the Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter.
Long Term Sustainability:
Hydraid® BioSand Water Filters are easily adopted into people’s daily water routines and have shown continuous use rates of >85% for up to 8 years in field tests.Read study
How it Works
The Hydraid® BioSand Water filter consists of multiple layers of sand and gravel in a specially designed housing. A biological surface layer that forms naturally within 2 weeks of installation consumes pathogens to clean the water. The water is poured into the top of the Hydraid® BioSand filter as needed, first through a diffuser and the biological layer, then down through layers of sand and gravel, which further filter out particulate and other pathogens. As the safe, clear water collects at the base of the filter, the water flows by gravity out of the filter through plastic piping attached at the unit’s exterior. The Hydraid® BioSand filter can meet all of a family’s water needs including drinking, bathing and washing.
Some BioSand Water Filter designs have used manual concrete construction techniques that result in a heavy 300-pound end product that is difficult to transport, inconsistent in quality, and incompatible to scale for market needs. In contrast, Triple Quest's plastic Hydraid® BioSand filter weighs just 3.6kg (8 pounds), is easily transported in large quantities, and is inexpensive and scalable.
One of the world’s most effective and proven water purification methods, the BioSand Water Filter dramatically reduces the leading causes of disease and death in the developing world including diarrhea, skin and urinary tract infections. Through a combination of biological and mechanical processes, BioSand filtration makes unsafe water safer for families to use.
Our Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter incorporates the Patented BioSand filter technology into a new, specially engineered plastic filter, making the unit easier to transport and distribute in the difficult terrain found in the world’s most remote locations. The medical-grade plastic is FDA approved for drinking water and is UV resistant so it won’t break down in sunlight.
The filter’s portability, effectiveness and ease of use are among the key factors that will enable us and our global partners to help make a dramatic impact on the global water crisis.