Water purification filters are very useful for both rural and urban areas that lack safe drinking water.
Sand or gravel filters, both industrial and home, simulate the natural filtering process of water, which occurs when it passes through the ground to reach underground aquifers. They were the first filters used to make water drinkable and prevent diseases such as cholera.
Here you will learn how to make a homemade water purifying filter yourself. You will be able to pass cloudy-looking water through it, and not only will it leave them crystal clear, but thanks to certain collaborating bacteria that develop in the carbon contained in the filter, harmful organisms that cause diseases will be eliminated.
– A plastic container or barrel, approximately one meter high
– fine sand
– Gravel
– Small rocks
– medium stones
– Crushed carbon or activated carbon
Container Preparation
1. To prepare the container for the homemade water purifying filter, you must make a small hole two or three centimeters in diameter in its lower part. The filtered water will come out of there. You can also directly use a container or barrel with a dispenser at the bottom, or for example a plastic drum with a lid.
2. Wash the container very well, with detergent and then with antibacterial soap. Rinse with plenty of water, and clean the stones in the same way.
Sand filter assembly
The assembly process is simple. You should only place the materials in layers, which must be homogeneous to avoid mixing.
The layers must go in the following order:
– 25 cm of medium stones
– 12 cm of small stones
– 3 cm of gravel
– 3 cm of charcoal
– 2 cm of gravel
– 6 cm of fine sand
– 6 cm of gravel
-12 cm of small stones
Note: the use of carbon is essential for a complete filtering of the water, because it is what will kill the microorganisms. Ideally, it should be activated carbon, which is more porous and increases the physical-chemical absorption process within the filter.
Functioning
The operation of the homemade water purifying filter is very simple, you just have to pour the water through the opening of the container, and by itself it will go through the layers and arrive filtered and crystalline at the bottom.
Then you must collect the clean water that, after going through all those layers, will arrive clear and transparent.
If you were interested in this way of purifying water, you may want to know how a tower works that converts air into drinking water, or learn yourself how to get drinking water with solar energy.
Important: It should be clarified that The Bioguide does not give medical advice or prescribe the use of techniques as a form of treatment for physical or mental problems without the advice of a doctor, either directly or indirectly. In the case of applying any information on this site for this purpose, La Bioguía does not assume responsibility for these acts. The site is intended only to provide information of a general nature to aid in the pursuit of personal growth and development.