UV Jal

• Location: Rural India
• Client: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, West Singhbhum
• Project date: February 2021 - May 2021
• Project Video: Made using Adobe Spark and Simpleshow Video Maker

My team and I iterated on a low-cost, low-tech UV disinfection product for rural settings in India. Because most water contaminants in rural areas are biological, UV-C wavelengths can effectively disinfect E. Coli and total coliforms and make water drinkable. Water is often stored in storage tanks on roofs in India and supplied usinng metal or PVC pipes to taps. Our product uses a UV filament inside a PVC component with an inlet, outlet, and valve to control the flow rate of water.

During the semester, we iterated on the prototype, lining the inside of the UV filament chamber with reflective material, and attempting to make the product work with LED lights. Each iteration was tested using raw water, shown to have E. Coli and total coliforms. I helped with the testing as well as putting together a project and basic instructional video for the product. The product still requires more testing to increase the flow rate to standard faucet flow rates.