Low-cost technology for clean drinking water developed at IIT-KGP

IIT, Kharagpur has ensured the availability of clean and clean drinking water without heavy metals.

An effective, low-cost, nano-filtration technology developed by the Centre for Technological Excellence in Water Purification (CTEWP) based at IIT, Kharagpur has ensured the availability of clean and clean drinking water without heavy metals. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) on Thursday said the type of nano-filtration system is a highly flexible membrane, designed to remove heavy metals from groundwater, developed by the Membrane Separations Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR- IICT), with the support of the DST Water Technology Initiative (WTI).

At a volume of 100-300 liters per hour (L / h), a membrane-based system called hydrophilized polyamide membrane removes heavy metals such as iron from groundwater.It consists of pumps that force the water first through the pre-filter assembly to remove the solid, color, and odor, and then blow the wound modules that separate the heavy metal. It provides an area full of solid soluble purification (TDS) with no impurities such as iron, arsenic, or excess hardness. Ultraviolet light is given to ultimately disinfect any diseases that may occur in the tank or pipes.

The CSIR-IICT team has also developed a simple, inexpensive, hand-operated vacuum pump, easy-to-use, high-speed, and minimal space.

DST-supported technology is based on a membrane called polyether sulfone fibers. The pressure created by the hand pump that flows through the membrane module provides the ability to carry the precipitation and disinfected water through the empty membrane, while the small chlorine shell placed in the membrane container achieves free chlorine to deal with any secondary contamination. 24 water plants have been installed during the recent floods in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal to provide clean and safe drinking water to 50,000 people.