Hydraid® BioSand Filter

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$75.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Triple Quest – a collaborative social enterprise between Cascade Engineering and The Windquest Group (a West Michigan private investment fund) partners with entrepreneurs and NGOs in the developing world to make the Hydraid biosand filters available. Hydraid works with the local organizations to import the plastic containers, create the sand filter, and educate users.

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include DHAN Biosand Filters, H2gO Purifier, BushProof Biosand Filter, and Ideas at Work Biosand Filter.

Manufacturing/Building Method

Mass-production of extruded plastic containers combined with manual assembly of sand/rock media. Manufacturing led by NativeEnergy.

Intellectural Property Type

Patented product. Patent number US8778175 B2

User Provision Model

Available for bulk purchase to partner organizations via the social enterprise Triple Quest which partners with entrepreneurs and NGOs in the developing world to make the Hydraid biosand filters available. Hydraid works with the local organizations to import the plastic containers, create the sand filter, and educate users.

Distributions to Date Status

Today there are more than 75,000 Hydraid water filters in 46 countries.

Design Specifications

The Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter is comprised of a plastic container that is filled with layers of sieved and washed sand and gravel. Water is poured into the top of the filter where it collects in a storage container. The water passes through the dif­fuser plate and the sand and gravel layers. Head pressure pushes water through the pipe in the base to the outlet point. Biological con­t­a­m­i­na­tion is reduced through the actions of adsorp­tion; mechan­i­cal fil­ter­ing, pre­da­tion (bio­log­i­cal layer) and nat­ural die off. Height – 0.77 m (30.5?), Diameter – 0.42 m (16.5?); Weight: Empty – 3.6kg (8 lbs.), Filled – 63.5kg (140 lbs.) Construction materials: UV-resistant plastic, FDA-approved materials, no moving parts The external outlet pipe may be prone to damage and leakage.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

Technical support is expected to be provided by the user.

Replacement Components

The plastic housing is available from the manufacturer while the filtration media is expected to be available locally.

Lifecycle

Manufacturer estimates the lifecycle to be more than than 10 years.

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter manufacturer claims the following: Easy Installation: about 30 minutes (level and fill with sand). Filtering Capacity: 47 liters/hour. Serves the needs of 8-10 people daily. Prep Time: Surface biological layer forms naturally in about 2 weeks

Vetted Performance Status

In 2008, three health impact studies were performed specifically on the plastic Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter and involved 81 filters installed in Cambodian households, 89 in Honduran households and 115 in Ghanaian households. In 2012 the health impact study on the plastic Hydraid® BioSand Water Filter showed greater or comparable reduction in diarrheal disease in comparison to trials of concrete biosand water filters in Cambodia, Kenya and the Dominican Republic. Link broken as of 2018

Safety

University of North Carolina and CAWST

Complementary Technical Systems

Safe water storage container.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

The BSF unit’s medical-grade plastic is FDA approved for drinking water.

Evaluation methods

Lab testing of filtered water quality. Health impact studies have long been used to assess the impact of various technologies and investments in water, sanitation and hygiene interventions and are particularly useful as evaluation tools in understanding the interconnected necessity of water, sanitation and hygiene for health and development.

Other Information

None.