Adaptable water-laboratory unit - Eawag

Decentralised drinking-water quality testing | WEDC 2017 | Arnt Diener

Adaptable water-laboratory unit Decentralised water quality testing in remote & alpine regions

40th WEDC Conference 2017: Paper presentation on 26.07.2017

Arnt Diener

Drinking-water quality advisor

EAWAG and WHO European Centre for Environment and Health

Authors: Arnt Diener, Ariane Schertenleib, Madan Bhatta, Mohan Bhatta, Daniel Sihombing, Irfan Pratama,

Moa Kenea, Dr Sara Marks (PI)


In a nutshell

Project purpose

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Field kit Central lab Decentralised lab unit

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? Motivation

Requirements

Benefits/opportunities

Design

Validation


Introduction /1

Low awareness for water quality

River water intake in Varzob valley, Tajikistan

© Arnt Diener

Consumer perception (sensory)

does not reveal potability

❑ Odour

❑ Taste

❑ Colour

❑ Turbidity


Introduction /2

Difficult system access and complex maintenance

Untreated supply in Dullu Municipality, Nepal

© Arnt Diener

Water quality and maintenance are not questioned

❑ Trusted water origin: “spring” or “mountain”

❑ Lack of information: irregular testing, low reliability

Decentralised drinking-water quality testing | WEDC 2017 | Arnt Diener 5

Introduction /3

Lack of access to laboratory services

• Confirm operational processes

❑ System maintenance

❑ Treatment performance / disinfection dosing

• Guide system setup and modifications

❑ Water sourcing: initial or after disruptions – e.g. Nepal earthquake

❑ Treatment requirements and supplier/consumer motivation (!)

• Verify compliance with applicable standards

❑ Demonstrate system functionality to consumers

❑ Meet increasing demands for data collection (SDG)


Introduction /4

Overwhelming system number and distance from lab

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2-24 hours REGIONAL

LAB

Centralized laboratories are often unfit to

serve (remote) rural water supplies

❑ Transport times often exceed WHO

standards for microbial testing

❑ Water supply variety and number

often exceeds central capacities


Introduction /5

Testing demand exceeds field kit purpose

© Arnt Diener

2-6 hours Lab unit

Local laboratory support requires

adapted, but sustainable setup

❑ Ideally local maintenance and use

of existing supply chains

❑ Ideally fit for regular lab support at

variable testing volumes


Setup /1

Research Question

Main research question:

How can decentralised laboratory units facilitate water quality

testing and system improvements as an intermediate solution?


Setup /2

Research Collaboration

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Collaboration between international researchers and community suppliers/experts

EAWAG Sandec Department - Water Supply and Treatment & Safe Water Promotion Groups

and HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation - Water Resource Management Program for Nepal


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? Project/Short-term

Individual supplies

Battery

Permanent

Regional coverage

Grid electricity

Medium-long term

Local coverage (2-6h)

Off-grid power supply

Setup /3

Research gap


Setup /4

Research Program

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

2014-15

Baseline

2015-16

System Dynamics

2017-18

REACH pilot

Phase 0

2014

Desk review


Laboratory design /1

Decentralised laboratory unit

• Focus on microbial testing as most pressing issue

❑ Technically difficult (aseptic handling)

❑ Primary health concern

❑ Alpine and low-income settings various adaptations (climate, budget)

❑ Sample transportation quickly exceeds cost and time limits

• Setup shall motivate sanitary inspections and operational monitoring

❑ Local testing by or in collaboration with water suppliers can trigger action

❑ Accountability of suppliers can motivate inspections and maintenance

❑ Value/cost of microbial testing can motivate operational monitoring (meters)


Laboratory design /2

Decentralised laboratory unit

• Selected equipment and consumables for testing of key indicators

❑ Membrane filtration set for E. coli

= integrate existing modules (DelAgua filter, CDP petri dishes, etc.)

❑ Handheld meters for conductivity, temperature, turbidity and pH

❑ Mobile application (Akvo FLOW/mWater) for sanitary inspection

❑ Careful consumable selection: Price / Sourcing / Availability / Variability

• Adapted methodology to facilitate sustainable operation

❑ Adapted microbial testing methodology

❑ Adapted cooling chain and modified incubation system


Piloting /1

Installation in Nepal

© Sara Marks

Installed laboratory (microbial element) in Nepal


Piloting /2

Training

Training on bacterial incubation and manual turbidity quick check

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Piloting /3

Validation

Scientific piloting:

Over 3000 samples from more than 20 water supplies

Daily monitoring:

Laboratory and field blanks, positive and negative controls, temperature every min.

Development of SOPs:

Aseptic sampling, safe sample transport, laboratory processing and disposal


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Lessons learned /1

Collaborative adaptation

Adapted laboratory equipment, local engineering,

and proven testing methods can form a great team.


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Lessons learned /2

Lab unit is feasible based on adapted modules

validated adaptations can be worthwhile

not only for alpine regions


Lessons learned /3

Motivation for action

• Adaptable laboratory unit fulfils expectations

❑ Lab unit allows low-cost testing and use of various consumable types

❑ Off-grid electrical setup and simplified microbial equipment validated

❑ Training of local experts and first testing pilot successful

• Water quality testing motivated sanitary inspections and action

❑ Identified contaminant level differences between different supplies schemes

in one region have triggered further testing and inspections

❑ Local testing of water quality has drawn attention to supply scheme limitations,

and was followed by sanitary inspections and first system modifications


The end

Thank you

Arnt Diener, Germany / [email protected]

Dr Sara Marks, USA (PI) / [email protected]

Ariane Schertenleib, CH / [email protected]

Madan Bhatta, Nepal

Mohan Bhatta, Nepal

Daniel Daniel, Indonesia

Irfan Pratama, Indonesia

Moa Kenea, Ethiopia

AU

TH

OR

S

FU

ND

ING

eawag.ch/en/department/sandec/projects/wst/nep

al-safe-water-quality

reachwater.org.uk/funding/catalyst-projects-call-

1/establishing-a-water-quality-monitoring-network-

in-mid-western-nepal/ WE

BLIN

KS

mailto:[email protected]




http://www.eawag.ch/en/department/sandec/projects/wst/nepal-safe-water-quality










http://reachwater.org.uk/funding/catalyst-projects-call-1/establishing-a-water-quality-monitoring-network-in-mid-western-nepal/


























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Adaptable water-laboratory unit - Eawag