Emergency water supply : a review of potential technologies and selection criteria
Access to safe drinking water is one of the first priorities following a disaster. However, providing drinking water to the affected population (AP) is challenging due to severe contamination and lack of access to infrastructure. An onsite treatment system for the AP is a more sustainable solutio...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2013
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/100351 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/11018 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | Access to safe drinking water is one of the first priorities following a disaster. However,
providing drinking water to the affected population (AP) is challenging due to severe
contamination and lack of access to infrastructure. An onsite treatment system for the AP
is a more sustainable solution than transporting bottled water. Emergency water technologies
(WTs) that are modular, mobile or portable are suitable for emergency relief. This
paper reviews WTs including membrane technologies that are suitable for use in emergencies.
Physical, chemical, thermal- and light-based treatment methods, and membrane
technologies driven by different driving forces such as pressure, temperature and osmotic
gradients are reviewed. Each WT is evaluated by ten mutually independent criteria: costs,
ease of deployment, ease of use, maintenance, performance, potential acceptance, energy
requirements, supply chain requirements, throughput and environmental impact. A
scoring system based on these criteria is presented. A methodology for emergency WT
selection based on compensatory multi-criteria analysis is developed and discussed.
Finally, critical research needs are identified. |
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