Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2012HI377B

Usage of UV disinfection coupled with rain water catchment and stream water in rural areas

Institute: Hawaii
Year Established: 2012 Start Date: 2012-03-01 End Date: 2013-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $3,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $6,104

Principal Investigators: Bunnie Yoneyama, Joseph Lichwa

Project Summary: Water is an essential component for living organisms. From the beginning of civilization, humans have settled close to water sources. Unfortunately, in many developing nations, the water that is available is unfit for human consumption because of high bacterial content. Lack of good quality water can also be a problem in the more remote areas of developed countries. An economical ultraviolet(UV) disinfection system run by solar power may provide a means of disinfecting the available water and making it suitable for drinking. With proper dosage, UV irradiation is an effective bactericide and virucide and does not contribute to the formation of toxic by products. The UV unit can be used as a point of use device for a single household or as a final treatment on a slow sand filter that would be large enough to serve a small community.