VEOLIA application

Application form
Student Solidarity Awards 2014-2015
Project N° 259
LOW COST WATER FILTERS FOR ARSENIC REMOVAL, SHANXI
APPLICATION FORM
Association name : RISE (Rural International Student Exchange)
School : Tsinghua University
1. General Information
2. Activity of your association
3. Your sponsor
4. General details of your project
5. Team of your project
6. Budget of your project
7. Planning of your project
8. Financial partners of your project
9. Comments
10. The required attachments
#259-Page 1/16

1. GENERAL INFORMATION
School : Tsinghua University
Country : CHINE
Project's name : 259. Low cost water filters for arsenic removal, Shanxi
Area of action : Humanitarian emergency / Development assistance
Contact for the student solidarity awards
Contact family name : Arnold
Contact first name : Catherine
Telephone : +86 18811710322
E-mail : catherinejarnold@gmail.com
Association name : RISE (Rural International Student Exchange)
Date created : 15 October 2011
Number of members : 60-70
Head office address
Address : School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing
Zip code : 100084
City : Beijing
Country : CHINE
Website facebook : www.facebook.com/rise.china?fref=ts
Website : www.rise-thu.org/
Legal representative : Jianguo Liu
E-mail of the legal representative
:
jgliu@tsinghua.edu.cn
phone number of the legal
representative :
+86 10 62782029
Position of the legal
representative :
Vice Dean and Professor, School of Environment, Tsinghua
University
Your association is submitting a project : In partnership with other student associations
Association name School Object
Students of Taiyuan University of
Technology
Taiyuan University of Technology Assistance with Shanxi Project
Students of Ningxia University Ningxia University Assistance with Ningxia Project
Huazhong University of Science and
Technology
Technology
Development of RISE's urban
agriculture project
#259-Page 2/16

2. ACTIVITY OF YOUR ASSOCIATION
What is the purpose of your association ?
RISE is a student-run organization empowering students to rise up and apply their
knowledge to solving environmental problems in rural China. Through collaboration
between local and international students, we create the exchange of knowledge, ideas,
and culture to achieve sustainable development.
What are its main activities ?
Biosand filter project (including Shanxi Arsenic Removal Project, Ningxia Project and
Gansu Project)
Sustainable Agriculture Project
Schools Water Education Project
Sustainable Waste Management Project
What was the budget of your association last year ?
12,985.00 €
What is the budget forecast (total) for the year in progress ?
9,085.00 €
Who are the main partners of your association? (technical, financial,institutional, in France and, if
applicable, in the countries in which you are active)
Partner Type Country Main contribution
Shanxi Department of Environmental
Protection
Institutional CHINE Our government partner provides the
Shanxi project with advice and financial
support. They helped us initiate our
project in Shanxi. The cost burden for
the households will be determined in
conjunction with our government
partner.
Taiyuan University of Technology Technical CHINE RISE cooperated with students from
Taiyuan University of Technology on a
project in a county near Taiyuan (capital
of Shanxi) to build arsenic biosand
filters and reduce arsenic levels in
groundwater. They also assist us
greatly in our project near Pingyao by
testing water, communicating with
households, building filters and
collecting water samples.
Microsoft Financial CHINE Microsoft is very motivated to
encourage social innovation by
students, and provided us chances to
collaborate with other organizations and
to get advice from many professionals.
Wennuan Shuibei Technical CHINE RISE currently cooperates with a local
volunteer organisation in Lanzhou
called Wennuan Shuibei to build
biosand filters in primary schools in the
surrounding rural areas.
Palintest Technical CHINE Provision of portable water testing
equipment to aid research.
Mahuangshan Local Government Institutional CHINE RISE worked with the local government
in Mahuangshan to set up a pilot project
of 100 biosand filters and deliver
materials for over 1000 biosand filters to
households relying on water from
underground cisterns.
#259-Page 3/16

Yanchi Prefecture Rural Sustainable
Development Association
Technical CHINE This is a local non-profit organisation
that seeks to improve the rural
environment in Yanchi prefecture,
Ningxia. They helped us greatly during
our 2012/2013 project providing
biosand filters to villagers.
Yiwei Qingnian (Gansu Water Project) Technical CHINE Yiwei Qingnian is the non-profit
organisation that developed the
Wennuan Shuibei project in Gansu.
They offered us the chance to
collaborate on distribution of biosand
filters to primary schools.
Ningxia University Technical CHINE Assistance with Ningxia Project
Technology
Technical CHINE Sustainable Agriculture Project
What are your main countries and geographic areas of action ?
Country Region(s), district(s) Examples of projects
conducted
Date of first
project in this
country
CHINE Shanxi, Ningxia, Gansu RISE has previously implemented projects in three
northern Chinese provinces using the biosand filter*
(no nails) and the arsenic biosand filter* (with nails).
RISE worked with the local government in
Mahuangshan to set up a pilot project of 100
biosand filters and deliver materials for over 1000
biosand filters to households relying on water from
underground cisterns. The target was to reduce
turbidity and contamination by microorganisms.
Results from a follow-up trip in July 2014 revealed
that
all biosand filters reduced turbidity, but that the
effectiveness could be affected by construction and
use patterns.
RISE currently cooperates with a local volunteer
organisation in Lanzhou called Wennuan Shuibei to
build biosand filters in primary schools in the
surrounding rural areas.
RISE cooperated with students from Taiyuan
University of Technology on a project in a county
near Taiyuan (capital of Shanxi) to build arsenic
biosand filters and reduce arsenic levels in
groundwater.
*The biosand filter is a low-cost filter made of sand,
gravel, a plastic or concrete container, PVC pipes
and a diffuser to break the flow of water flowing into
the top. It is based on the principle of slow sand
filtration and is built to encourage the formation of
biofilm in the top layer of sand, which is biologically
active (Chiew et al. 2009). Turbidity and
microorganisms are removed by the sand and
biofilm.
*The biosand filter has since been modified to
include a layer of iron nails in a diffuser basin
suspended above the standing water to make the
filter suitable for removing arsenic. This arsenic
biosand filter is also known as the Kanchan Arsenic
Filter. In this filter, the nails rust and iron (III) oxides
are formed. Fresh iron hydroxides are then formed
which adsorb arsenic in the water and become
trapped in the sand (Chiew et al. 2009). This
removes arsenic from the water.
The biosand filter and arsenic biosand filter
concepts are credited to Dr David Manz and Dr
Tommy Ngai, respectively.
10/15/2011
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3. YOUR SPONSOR
Who is your sponsor in Veolia Environnement ?
Reminder: you are free to contact any employee of the group throughout the world on your own initiative,
to propose that he or she “sponsor” your project with the Veolia Environnement Foundation for the
student solidarity awards.
Title : Mister
Family Name : Goulven
First name : Inial
Company : Veolia
Position : Research and Innovation Manager – Coordination of the R&I
coporate programs in Asia
Job : Environnement
Country : CHINE
Landline number : +86 10 5953 2239
Mobile phone number : +86 183 0121 6055
E-mail : goulven.inial@veolia.com
Testimony of your sponsor
I support the application by RISE to the Student Solidarity Awards. The project in
Shanxi that forms the basis of this application has been set up by RISE in response to
an obvious need (very high arsenic levels in drinking water). It has been implemented
in a way that ensures an effective household iron-sand filter is chosen, by means of an
initial testing period involving 6 filter variations. The organisation has involved local
government, local university students and village households during project
implementation, which will increase the success of the project.
#259-Page 5/16

4. GENERAL DETAILS OF YOUR PROJECT
Where is the project located?
Country : CHINE
Region, district : Shanxi, Pingyao County, located in the Jinzhong Basin area of
Shanxi province.
City(s), locality(s) : We are currently testing different variations of sand-iron filters in the
village of Liangjiabao, Shanxi province, where well water is high in
arsenic. Having established which filter removes arsenic most
effectively, we hope to expand the project to other households in the
village and other villages in this region.
Briefly describe its main objective
- To identify the best filter for this groundwater source.
- To teach village households to build and maintain the filter.
- To remove arsenic in drinking water to below the local Chinese standard (50µg/L) and
preferably below the WHO standard of 10µg/L.
- To assess project success and extend to other villages with arsenic contamination.
- To advance scientific research in the area of household filters for arsenic removal.
Is it a new project or a replication / extension of a completed project ?
Replication / extension
Who are the beneficiaries (direct, indirect) of the project and how many are they ?
(The beneficiaries may be students, teachers, micro-entrepreneurs, families, etc.).
Beneficiary Number, approximate
population
Anticipated benefit
Low Income Households in Liangjiabao 40 households; 120-200 people By August 2015 we hope to have built
and distributed 40 appropriate water
filters, providing safer water to these
low-income families.
Villagers in the Pingyao Region 1,100+ filters; 3,300 people+ Following further testing, we hope to
expand the project to more villages in
the Pingyao Region. In our previous
Ningxia project, we distributed the
materials for over 1000 filters, and
constructed 100 during the pilot stage.
Low-income households affected by
arsenic contamination of water in other
areas of China.
20 million Recent modelling revealed that around
20 million people could be exposed to
water contaminated with levels of
arsenic higher than the limit
recommended by the World Health
Organisation (Rodriguez-Lado et al.
2013). Development of low-cost arsenic
filtration methods could be beneficial to
many.
How do you plan to measure the impact of the project?
Impact Indicator Starting point observed Finishing point expected
Household Satisfaction. Do villagers
actively use technology, what practical
problems can be identified?
Second follow-up trip. November 2015 Ongoing Project Evaluation and
Improvement.
Water Quality Improvement: Water
testing for arsenic as well as turbidity,
nitrates, iron and manganese and a
number of other water quality
parameters
March 2015 November 2015
#259-Page 6/16

State how your project provides one or more innovative solutions ?
Our project involves the testing and dissemination of low-cost sand-iron filters for
arsenic removal from groundwater. We will be testing six variations of the arsenic
biosand filter and the SONO filter.
Innovation: Uses low-cost materials such as buckets, sand, stones, iron nails, activated
carbon and iron nails as a method of filtering and removing arsenic from water. This
makes water filtration technology an affordable possibility for low income families.
Innovation: Little research is available comparing arsenic removal efficiency of the
arsenic biosand filter and SONO filter or comparing modified versions of both filter
types using the same groundwater source (as we are doing). Our project seeks to
improve on current scientific knowledge relating to household-level arsenic filtration of
groundwater by establishing a four-month testing period where six filter variations* are
filled daily with the same groundwater source. The results will identify which filter is
most effective and we hope to publish this research so that it can benefit the scientific
and development community.
*The SONO filter is the creation of Drs. Munir and Hussam, the biosand filter is
generally credited to Dr. David Manz and the arsenic biosand filter can be credited to
Dr. Tommy Ngai, but we are testing various modifications of these filters and
comparing their performance using the same groundwater source, which is innovative.
The SONO filter removes arsenic through the corrosion of iron and through sand
filtration. In the SONO filter, water filtration occurs across two buckets. The first bucket
contains two layers of coarse sand separated by iron material, which is called
composite iron matrix and is made from iron filings. The second bucket contains a
layer of coarse sand and a layer of fine sand separated by a layer of wood charcoal. In
each bucket, brick chips are placed in front of pipe connections to prevent clogging.
What are the main key success factors for the implementation of your project?
Success factors Description, remarks
Reliable removal of arsenic from water To provide reliable removal of arsenic to below China’s arsenic standard for
groundwater wells (50µg/L) and preferably below the WHO standard of 10µg/L.
To identify the most appropriate type of
low-cost iron-assisted filter for
application to this groundwater source.
Tests are currently in process to determine which of the following filters is most
suitable. The six filters are: (1) unmodified biosand filter – water passed through
once; (2) arsenic biosand filter with 5kg iron nails in a diffuser above standing
water – water passed through once; (3) arsenic biosand filter with 5kg iron nails in
a diffuser above standing water – water passed through twice; (4) modified
biosand filter with a 5kg layer of iron nails placed under the top 3-5cm layer of
sand. (5) A conventional SONO filter constructed using iron filings. (6) A modified
SONO filter constructed using iron nails.
Active use of technology by villagers. Households in the target village successfully build and maintain the filter, and use it
on a very regular basis.
Project expansion To assess the success of the project and extend it to other suitable areas of
Shanxi identified as being affected by arsenic contamination.
What are the main difficulties you expect to face in implementing your project ?
Difficulties Description, remarks Recommended solutions
Drinking water contamination can be a
sensitive topic.
The problem of arsenic pollution is
particularly serious in northern China
where people are more likely to rely on
groundwater. However, dealing with
the issue in a very public way without
the support of local government may
cause conflict.
It is best to cooperate with local
government on this issue to avoid
conflict, which we are currently doing.
Villagers may not believe that their
water quality has problems.
This is an issue for arsenic
contamination, which is not visible to
the naked eye.
On-site water testing can help.
#259-Page 7/16

Potential misuse of filter materials
during construction
For example, people may only use half
the sand provided or may not even
bother to construct the filter at all,
despite receiving materials.
Households should be trained in filter
construction and maintenance, but
construction should also be overseen to
ensure materials are used. The scale of
the project should be controlled so that
this aim can be achieved. Furthermore,
it is important that households are clear
on what the filter consists of and what it
can achieve prior to construction. This
will increase the likelihood of long-term
uptake.
Stakeholders may not be convinced of
the effectiveness of the filter.
This may lead to decreased use and
poor maintenance of the filter.
It helps to have portable testing kits to
assure households and volunteers that
effluent water quality is better than
influent water quality. It is also
necessary to seek the best possible
filter for the groundwater source in
question. This is why we are testing a
number of different options in our
Shanxi Project.
Negative impact of subsidies. If the filters are highly subsidised or
free, it is possible that households will
not value them or may not perceive a
need for them.
We will be determining the correct
subsidy in conjunction with our
government partner and the village
households.
#259-Page 8/16

5. TEAM OF YOUR PROJECT
Can you describe the team that will be responsible for carrying out and monitoring the project ?
Family name
First name
Years of
study
School Responsibility
, role in
connection
with your
association
Mission related to the project
Mrs. Smith Kate 9 Tsinghua
University
RISE President 2015-
16
Water Filter Project
Leader 2014-15
Project Co-ordinator, Testing and Development of
Water Filtration Systems.
Mrs. Arnold
Catherine
3 University of
Exeter
Education and Finance
2014-15
Funding Applications and Schools Workshops,
Construction of Water Filters, Biosand Filter
Training.
Mrs. Yeung Gigi 2 Tsinghua
University
Leader 2015
Project Leader: Logistics and Communications.
Mrs. Cheung Joy 2 Tsinghua
University
Leader 2015-16, Shanxi
Project Leader
Project Leader: Budget and Communications.
Mrs. Yan Polina 2 Tsinghua
University
Shanxi Project Leader
2015
Water Testing, Trip Planning
Mrs. Chen Doris 3 Tsinghua
University
15
President of RISE 2014-15
Mrs. Xu Lucia 4 Tsinghua
University
2015, Shanxi Project
Leader 2014
Project Initiation, contact with government and
university partners, advice
#259-Page 9/16

6. BUDGET OF YOUR PROJECT
Details of the investment budget
Item name Amount (Euros) % of total
investment
Training: Materials and Transport 152.00 € 100.00 %
Details of the operating budget
Item name Amount (Euros) % of total
operation
Phase 1 Trip, Testing Arsenic Biosand Filters: Construction,
Transport, Accommodation
782.00 € 10.98 %
Phase 2 Trip, Collecting Samples for Testing, Transport,
Accommodation
556.00 € 7.79 %
Water Testing: Scientific Equipment, Chemicals required to
test multiple samples for multiple pollutants
1,363.00 € 19.13 %
Phase 3, Mass construction of 40 filters: Materials, transport,
accommodation
4,270.00 € 59.97 %
Total cost of the project (euros) : 7,121.00 €
% allocated to investment : 2.13 %
% allocated to operations : 97.87 %
What is the amount of the grant you seek in the context of
the student solidarity awards (in Euros) ?
5,845.00 €
If you win the award, how do you plan to use the grant?
Item name Amount
(Euros)
Type (investment)
Stages 4-6: Evaluation and Expansion of Project to other
villiages of Pingyao
1,000.00 € Operation
Phase 3: Mass Construction of 40 filters: Materials, transport,
accommodation
4,270.00 € Operation
Phase 2: Water Testing Continuation 731.00 € Investment
#259-Page 10/16

7. PLANNING OF YOUR PROJECT
What is the forward planning of your project?
Approximate duration of the project (weeks) : 55
Anticipated launch date : 1/3/2015
What are the main phases, steps of your project?
Phase / Name Content, actions Duration
1. Filter Testing March 2015 Set up six different versions of filters in village of Pingyao region. 2 Months
2. Water Testing May 2015 and July 2015 Return to Pingyao to collect water samples after two
month period. Taiyuan University of Technology students will collect water
samples every week during this period for weekly testing.
2 months
3. Construction August 2015 Supply materials and build 40 filters in village. 1 month
4. Further Testing September 2015 Return for further water testing. Remind households of
maintenance procedure.
1 month
5. Second follow-up trip. November 2015 Survey households to determine satisfaction. Identify next
appropriate village using groundwater sampling and opinion surveys.
1 month
6. Expand Project March 2016 Commence second project with a similar structure although less
initial testing will be necessary.
6 months+
#259-Page 11/16

8. FINANCIAL PARTNERS OF YOUR PROJECT
Who are your financial partners for implementation of this project?
Partner’s name Contribution
requested from
this partner
(Euros)
Status of
negotiations
If applicable,
contribution
already obtained
(Euros)
Personal Contributions, RISE School Project Donations 1,000.00 € Initiated 515.00 €
Shanxi Department of Environmental Protection 761.00 € Initiated 761.00 €
Who are the technical and institutional partners
on whom you also expect to rely for the implementation of your project ?
(In particular: NGO and associations, local companies for the completion of
certain operations, local authorities: customary powers, municipality, Ministries, etc.).
Partner's name Description of the contribution Status of
negotiations
Taiyuan University of Technology Following a training session at Taiyuan University of Technology, students
have assisted in the construction of sand filters and water testing process.
Initiated
Pailintest Provision of Portable Water Testing Equipment Finalized
Tsinghua University School of
Environment
Helping with testing of water samples from Pingyao Initiated
Shanxi Department of Environmental
Protection
The cost burden for the households will be determined in conjunction with our
government partner. This government department also provides the Shanxi
project with advice and financial support. They helped us initiate our project in
Shanxi.
Initiated
#259-Page 12/16

9. COMMENTS
Do you have any other general observations and remarks ?
Replicability & transferability
We have already undertaken a project involving arsenic biosand filters in Shanxi province. By building
on this experience and our current testing and implementation in Shanxi, we hope to continue expanding
our projects within China.
Sustainability
The sustainability of this kind of project depends on selecting a filter that is easy to use and does not
require extra addition of chemicals or changing of filter media after the initial construction. It must not
require maintenance more than once every two months. All of the options we are considering fit this
criteria.
We are careful to survey the households and identify their perceptions and paying power before
implementing the project. We also work with local government and volunteers to increase the likelihood
of uptake and the cultural acceptability of the project.
Maintenance
Households with filters will be trained to both construct and maintain the filters. Maintenance is
necessary when the filter flow decreases to a point that use is inconvenient. Correct maintenance
training is necessary to ensure wastewater containing arsenic is dealt with correctly.
Maintenance procedures
A. Biosand filter: (1) Add water to the filter. (2) Remove the diffuser plate (3) Use hands to agitate the top
centimetre of sand so that particles caught in the sand are released into the water. (4) Scoop out the
turbid water, which can be disposed of in the yard. (5) Repeat this process 2-4 times. (6) Replace the
diffuser plate and use filter as normal.
B. Arsenic biosand filter: Follow steps (1)-(6) above with two changes: Firstly it is preferable to use
gloves when agitating the sand, although arsenic levels in the sand are no enough to pose significant
risk through skin contact. Secondly, turbid wastewater should be disposed outside the yard in the
following way: dig a hole; pour the turbid water in the hole; add clay to the hole (i.e. dust from the road is
acceptable, sand is not acceptable).
C. SONO filter: (1) Maintenance of this filter involves removing the first inch of sand, washing it and
putting it back in the filter (or replacing it with new sand). This is only necessary if the filter flow is
perceived to be significantly slower than 30L/hr. (2) In the SONO filter, arsenic is primarily removed in
the iron component, rather than caught in the sand. As such, the sand can be dealt with without special
precautions, as can the wash water. (3) Pouring 5 L of hot water into each bucket is suggested to kill
bacteria and remove coliform count. If coliform count in the influent is very high, this procedure can be
repeated once a week.
References
Abul Hussam & Abul K. M. Muni, 2007. A simple and effective arsenic filter based on composite iron
matrix: Development and deployment studies for groundwater of Bangladesh, Journal of Environmental
Science and Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering, 42:12, 1869-
1878, DOI: 10.1080/10934520701567122
Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST), 2009. Biosand Filter Manual,
www.cawst.org.
Chiew, H. et al.. 2009. Effect of groundwater iron and phosphate on the efficacy of arsenic removal by
iron-amended biosand filters. Environmental Science and Technology, 43: 6295–6300.
Jenkins M.W., Tiwari S.K. and Darby J. 2011. Bacterial, viral and turbidity removal by intermittent slow
sand filtration for household use in developing countries: Experimental investigation and modeling.
Water Research, 45: 6227-6239.
Rodríguez-Lado, L. et al.. 2013. Groundwater arsenic contamination throughout China. Science, 341:
866–868.
#259-Page 13/16

In conclusion, why should the jury favor your application ?
RISE is an established student organisation with official support, and connections with other
like-minded organisations. We have established a real need for our project: arsenic levels in the drinking
water supply in our target village are well over healthy levels. Initial research and testing has already
been completed to confirm this. Our experiment phase involving 6 different filters is already underway in
the village and has the full support of all 6 households selected for this phase. The first set of results
indicates that all filters remove arsenic. The SONO filter with iron filings is the most successful filter so
far, reducing arsenic from 232ug/L (influent) to just over 7ug/L (effluent). This shows that we are on the
way to achieving our aim of selecting a filter that can reduce arsenic to below the World Health
Organisation guidelines of 10ug/L. Any financial support for the project would be immediately used
during the dissemination phase or during expansion of the project to other villages with similar arsenic
problems.
#259-Page 14/16

10. THE REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
. Curriculum Vitae of the leading members of your association (.pdf)
Kate Smith's CV - RISE President 2015-16
Gigi Yeug's CV - Project Leader, Logistics 2015-16
. In general, any further details in support of your candidature
(presentations, press articles, documentaries, photographs, etc.) (.pdf)
Presentation of the Shanxi Arsenic Removal Water Project for the World Water Forum 2015
Catherine Arnold's CV - Education Leader 2014-15
Understanding the Biosand Filter. Q's and A's regarding the Biosand Filter.
Doris Chan's CV - RISE President 2014-15
Ngai, T.; Dangol B.; Murcott, S.; Shrestha, R.R. (2005). Kanchan Arsenic Filter. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) and Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO). Kathmandu, Nepal
. Receipt of declaration of your association in the Prefecture (.pdf)
Letter from Tuanwei confirming the declaration of RISE as a society.
. Receipt of declaration of your association in the Prefecture (.jpg)
Letter from our legal representative confirming the declaration of RISE as a society.
. Articles naming the acting members of the committee (.jpg)
Letter from our legal representative confirming the key (committee) members.
Building a biosand filter; Photograph
Testing a SONO filter; photograph
. Receipt of declaration of your association in the Prefecture (.pdf)
Joy Cheung's CV, Water Filter Project Leader 2015-16, Shanxi Project Leader
Tsinghua University Student Social Practice Gold Prize, Ningxia 2014
(presentations, press articles, documentaries, photographs, etc.) (.jpg)
Tsinghua University Student Social Practice Gold Prize, Ningxia 2014
Arsenic Biosand Filter diagram - sourced from Chiew et al. EST 2009
#259-Page 15/16

SONO filter diagram - sourced from Hussam and Munir, J Env. Sc. Health Part A 2007
A simple and effective arsenic filter based on composite iron matrix - article front page
#259-Page 16/16

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