DAKAR, Senegal, Sept. 9, 2011 -- More than 3000 people in villages across Senegal will soon be receiving water from solar-powered water filtration systems in a bid to reduce the problem of fluorosis in the region.
People in Ndiaffate and Dankh Sene Villages will benefit from the water, which manufacturer supplier Pall said will be 98% free of fluoride. A study from the University of Dakar found that the concentration of fluoride ions in underground water in Senegal ranges between five and fifteen times the acceptable standard (0.7 milligrams per litre.)
The supplied system follows an 18-month pilot test involving more than 1,000 hours of on-site testing in Senegal’s Ndiaffate Villages, in partnership with the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar and the local Discalced Carmelites community.
Pall's reverse osmosis (RO) system was designed for TDS (total dissolved solids) removal -- including fluoride -- from well water and can produce 500 litres of drinking water every hour.
The system incorporates Pall's Disc Tube module technology, featuring a cross flow construction of stacked discs that the company said helps minimises fouling. No pre-treatment or chemicals are needed for operation and a built-in maintenance system enables effective membrane cleaning and maintenance.
Following the pilot installation, Pall conducted a demonstration of the first standard unit in the capital city of Dakar in February 2011. This unit also proved successful and will be installed in the district of Fatick shortly to supply safe drinking water.
Pall said it plans to deliver three additional Pall Aria Pure systems to Ndiaffate and Dank Sene Villages in September under the Senegalese Water Ministry’s PEPAM Drinking Water and Sanitation Program for the Millennium, which is supported by Cooperation Technique Belge (Belgium Technical Cooperation).
The firm will collaborate with TEREAU Sarl, its local engineering partner in Senegal, for the commissioning, start-up and maintenance of the units, as well as training of the operators.
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