Comments on: Water Pumping, Public and Private http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/ Finding the keys to the future…and trying not to lose them in the mess. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:26:03 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Emilie Barnacle http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-46836 Emilie Barnacle Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:29:22 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-46836 Keep posting stuff like this, I like it! Keep posting stuff like this, I like it!

]]> By: Lori Davern http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-46597 Lori Davern Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:32:14 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-46597 Normally I don't read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post. Normally I don’t read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post.

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-16005 Greenpa Wed, 13 May 2009 13:29:40 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-16005 In looking at the WHO information- it's great on principles and very thorough; but I eventually got to "the minimum size is usually estimated at 100 square meters" - of surface. LOL! Just wanted to reassure you, smaller, household sized sand filters can be made, and can be effective. Follow the principles. In looking at the WHO information- it’s great on principles and very thorough; but I eventually got to “the minimum size is usually estimated at 100 square meters” – of surface. LOL!

Just wanted to reassure you, smaller, household sized sand filters can be made, and can be effective. Follow the principles.

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-16004 Greenpa Wed, 13 May 2009 12:31:24 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-16004 Emily- it sure wouldn't hurt; to some extent, the digestive bacteria will develop as the filter is used and ages. Also- I think true sharp sand may be very hard to come by in Haiti; most sand there is going to be beach sand, which is far from sharp. Beach sand may also be mostly calcium carbonate; old coral and shells beat into dust- and that's not nearly as useful as silica based sands. Color can be a guide there- the whiter the sand, the more suspect; darker sands may be basalt based; better. Good addition there- and points out, as I said; full details are complex, but you can dig it out. :-) Emily- it sure wouldn’t hurt; to some extent, the digestive bacteria will develop as the filter is used and ages. Also- I think true sharp sand may be very hard to come by in Haiti; most sand there is going to be beach sand, which is far from sharp. Beach sand may also be mostly calcium carbonate; old coral and shells beat into dust- and that’s not nearly as useful as silica based sands. Color can be a guide there- the whiter the sand, the more suspect; darker sands may be basalt based; better.

Good addition there- and points out, as I said; full details are complex, but you can dig it out. :-)

]]> By: Emily http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-16003 Emily Tue, 12 May 2009 19:29:22 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-16003 Greenpa- I'd heard from a friend building water filters in Haiti that plain sand filters aren't good enough; you need to have an active layer of bacteria (the schmutzdecke) to really be safe. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/ssf/en/index.html Greenpa- I’d heard from a friend building water filters in Haiti that plain sand filters aren’t good enough; you need to have an active layer of bacteria (the schmutzdecke) to really be safe. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/ssf/en/index.html

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-16002 Greenpa Tue, 12 May 2009 14:02:12 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-16002 hm; that should be ASK someone who sells sand. hm; that should be ASK someone who sells sand.

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-16001 Greenpa Tue, 12 May 2009 14:01:33 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-16001 KC - as someone who sells sand! :-) Sharp sand is also "masons sand"; round sand in your mortar can make your building crumble. I find recently, though, that the kids selling stuff at Home Depot have no idea what I'm talking about when I ask for either masons or sharp. But any good mason will definitely know. How? Any way you can; literally. Dig a 10' deep hole, line it with lumber, fill it with sand- put water in on one end, and take it out the other. Build a 10' tall water tank- make it 3x stronger than you think it has to be- ditto. Use 10' of 4" or bigger pipe. Any way that works. Complete details are complex- and beyond my scope here. You can find the info in a bunch of places- old military construction manuals are great. KC – as someone who sells sand! :-) Sharp sand is also “masons sand”; round sand in your mortar can make your building crumble. I find recently, though, that the kids selling stuff at Home Depot have no idea what I’m talking about when I ask for either masons or sharp. But any good mason will definitely know.

How? Any way you can; literally. Dig a 10′ deep hole, line it with lumber, fill it with sand- put water in on one end, and take it out the other. Build a 10′ tall water tank- make it 3x stronger than you think it has to be- ditto. Use 10′ of 4″ or bigger pipe. Any way that works.

Complete details are complex- and beyond my scope here. You can find the info in a bunch of places- old military construction manuals are great.

]]> By: KC http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-16000 KC Tue, 12 May 2009 08:21:22 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-16000 Greenpa, Where do you get sharp sand? How do you identify it? Also, how would you create a 10 foot sand filter? Greenpa,

Where do you get sharp sand? How do you identify it?

Also, how would you create a 10 foot sand filter?

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-15999 Greenpa Mon, 11 May 2009 18:39:34 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-15999 Oh, and. :-) Sharon- I DID put up my own small windgenerator; even designing the tower myself. Quite a lot simpler, really; and a much smaller wind resistance. Oh, and. :-) Sharon- I DID put up my own small windgenerator; even designing the tower myself. Quite a lot simpler, really; and a much smaller wind resistance.

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/comment-page-1/#comment-15998 Greenpa Mon, 11 May 2009 18:32:19 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2009/05/09/water-pumping-public-and-private/#comment-15998 Oh, and water filters. Just for extreme need purposes; keep this in mind- my father, who taught Sanitary Engineering (as part of Civil) said to me several times- "10 feet of sand will filter out ANYTHING." With a few caveats, that's really true; even down to viruses and chemicals. One of the caveats- you want to use SHARP sand for filters; not round sand- the difference is big and important. For one thing, sharp sand is much more effective as a chemical catalyst- it will actually break chemical compounds, via what we now know is basically nano-catalysis. And the slower the water moves through the sand, the better; so using a big diameter pipe to hold it is good. And don't clog it with dirty water; what goes into your final sand filter needs to be pretty clean to begin with. Awkward, not portable- but extremely effective, and probably very cheap. Oh, and water filters. Just for extreme need purposes; keep this in mind- my father, who taught Sanitary Engineering (as part of Civil) said to me several times- “10 feet of sand will filter out ANYTHING.”

With a few caveats, that’s really true; even down to viruses and chemicals.

One of the caveats- you want to use SHARP sand for filters; not round sand- the difference is big and important. For one thing, sharp sand is much more effective as a chemical catalyst- it will actually break chemical compounds, via what we now know is basically nano-catalysis. And the slower the water moves through the sand, the better; so using a big diameter pipe to hold it is good. And don’t clog it with dirty water; what goes into your final sand filter needs to be pretty clean to begin with.

Awkward, not portable- but extremely effective, and probably very cheap.

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