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This project was done within 8 weeks at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
Designing a
grey-water recycling unit for slum dwellers
One in about six urban Indians live in slums, defined by UN Habitat as a place characterized by lack of durable housing, insufficient living area, lack of access to clean water, inadequate sanitation and insecure tenure. Urban slums in developing countries that are not recognized by the government often lack legal access to municipal water supplies. This results in the creation of insecure “informal” water distribution systems (i.e., community-run or private systems outside of the government’s purview). Water shortage is a way of life for millions in India.
Research
What
An aid which will help to reduce or reuse water consumption.
Why
People living in non-notified settlements suffer from poorer access to piped water. Shortage of water might lead to inequality and a higher public health risk
How
By designing a low-cost device which would help to either reuse or reduce water consumption.
Target Audience
Water Scarce Area
Slum Dweller
Rural Area
Ethnography
Task Analysis
Washing Clothes
Washing Utencils
To study the estimated water usage in washing the utensils and the cloths a detailed task analysis was done along with multiple users.
Opportunities
Taking care of leftovers
Filtering and reusing water
Redesigning an efficient sink
DIY Storage unit
for water
Redesigning the washing area
Reducing the amount of water used
Wastewater recycling has been and continues to be practised all over the world for a variety of reasons including; to increase water availability, combat water shortages and drought, and support environmental and public health protection. The increase in water demand is mainly due to the steady rise in the world’s population which also generates an increase in wastewater production. Consequently wastewater, if recycled,becomes a significant source of water that could potentially cover for the lack of freshwater observed elsewhere.
Designing a grey-water recycling unit for slum dwellers
Parameters affecting characteristics of
Grey-Water
Level of occupancy
Quality and type of water supply
Quantity of water used in relation to the discharged amount of substances
Activities in the household
Greywater source
Market Research
Industrial
Consumer
High Cost
Low Cost
Gap
Design Constraints
Fast
Compact
Attachable
Ideation
No clogs
Economic
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
Concept 4
Concept 5
Mockups
5-micron cartridge filet could be used for the final prototype with a strained which will take care of slightly bigger sediments so that the cartridge filter doesn’t block. Experiment 4 was the most successful one amongst the others as it provided the cleanest water in lesser time than the other technologies.
Volume and Form
Prototyping
User Testing
Need of adding activated charcoal in this process because it takes care of various heavy metals. Carbon filtering is a method of filtering that uses a bed of activated carbon to remove contaminants and impurities, using chemical adsorption. Each particle, or granule, of carbon provides a large surface area, or pore structure, allowing contaminants the maximum possible exposure to the active sites within the filter media. One gram of activated carbon has a surface area in excess of 3,000 m2 (32,000 sq ft). Activated carbon works via a process called adsorption, whereby pollutant molecules in the fluid to be treated are trapped inside the pore structure of the carbon substrate
Documentation
