The January earthquake in Haiti, which killed more than 230,000 people, also compounded the country's long-standing water problems, making the existing, challenging situation much worse.
Before the quake struck, only about half of the country's ten million residents had access to clean water, while two-thirds lacked proper sanitation. After the earthquake, the country's fragile water infrastructure was rendered inoperable for weeks due to a lack of electricity, which is still out in parts of the country. As a result, many experts predict the toll in lives lost will reach much higher as water-borne diseases like chronic diarrhea, hepatitis, cholera and typhoid are inevitable during the upcoming rainy season.
International aid agencies and others continue their efforts to get vital water supplies to Haiti. In March, some USD $5.3 billion was pledged for 2010-11 during a United Nations conference, with estimates suggesting that approximately $1 billion of which will be spent on water. Portability, speed, simplicity and adaptability have quickly become the required attributes for proposed water and wastewater treatment solutions in Haiti's disaster cleanup efforts.
9/11 prompts development of portable, adaptable wastewater treatment system
In 2002, prompted by the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the Air Force Institute for Operational Health (AFIOH) and Sam Houston State University (SHSU) jointly developed a portable and easily adaptable biological wastewater treatment system. The AFIOH/SHSU partnership developed a system that could handle various water/wastewater streams and remove any biological or chemical agents in the water supply. Following prototype testing, the technology was refined with help from the Army's Engineer Research and Development Center for deployment to target markets, including military and disaster cleanup. Active Water Sciences (AWS), a Palestine, Texas-based company founded in 2009, became the exclusive manufacturer, distributor and licensor of these treatment systems.
One of the AWS systems, the Water Phoenix, is a turnkey portable wastewater treatment system that uses a proprietary bacterial consortium and advanced design to treat up to 25,000 gallons of wastewater per day in a portable, semi-autonomous system. Wastewater treatment is achieved through biological degradation only. No filter separation of solids is necessary as the system completely digests organic matter leaving little solid waste for sludge disposal, reducing operational costs. The system reduces the biological oxygen demand by an average of 95 percent to less than 20 mg/l and total suspended solids by 92 percent to 13 mg/l. The system is shipped in two standard 20' shipping containers and is composed of a treatment unit (20' x 8' x 9'6") and a control unit (20' x 8' x 8'6"). An optional generator is offered in the event electric power is not available.
The Water Phoenix installs in a few hours and can produce EPA-quality effluent within 24 hours. Traditional activated sludge systems take seven to 45 days to achieve EPA effluent standards.
"The portability, rapid start up and ability to run 'off the grid' make Water Phoenix an ideal solution for disaster relief efforts," said Sabin Holland, director of Innovative Programs at SHSU and a consultant to Active Water Sciences. "The system can be operational within 48 hours of a disaster, and its rugged construction allows it to be transported and deployed in almost any environment."
The Army Corps of Engineers, which is working closely with aid organizations in Haiti, knew of the Water Phoenix system and it is through the Corps that the system is being placed in the country.
Additional disinfection as a precaution
As Active Water Sciences' plans to provide a Water Phoenix system to Haiti proceeded, company representatives decided to increase the system's disinfection capability to ensure the health of Haitian residents. "With the badly damaged infrastructure and unpredictable conditions created by the earthquake, the Army Corps of Engineers was uncertain as to where the Water Phoenix system would be used and how the effluent would be handled," said Holland. "In order to provide the safest possible water conditions for residents, we decided to add ultraviolet (UV) disinfection to the system sent to Haiti."
Active Water Sciences selected an UltraDynamics® Series 8102-GIE UV system from Severn Trent Services. The system is rugged and reliable and is designed for use in extreme environments. The system provides in excess of 30,000 micro-watt seconds per square centimeter of 254 nm ultraviolet energy to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms.
According to Stan Shmia, product manager for Severn Trent Services, UV has a number of advantages over traditional chemical disinfectants – particularly in a disaster environment. "A UV disinfection system is safe and easy to operate. There are no chemicals to transport, which is a particular benefit in Haiti given the significant damage to the country's transportation infrastructure. UV systems' small footprints facilitate their adaptability to existing treatment facilities. In addition, the use of UV disinfection does not produce any undesirable by-products. In short, UV is simple, inexpensive, low-maintenance – and effective."
In recent months, the world has experienced significant earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Samoa, each resulting in the loss of life and extensive damage to local infrastructure. Evidence increasingly points to the importance of quickly restoring water and wastewater treatment systems after a natural disaster has occurred. New, advanced technologies such as that utilized by the Water Phoenix portable wastewater treatment system and proven technologies such as UV disinfection are demonstrating their worth in post-disaster environments around the world.
For more information, e-mail info@severntrentservices.com.
Return to Newsletter