Abstract:

Because of the solvent properties of water many substances may be found in natural waters  and some of them are potentially hazardous to human life. Health effects from the contaminated drinking water is severe in many parts of the world. The surface water and even ground water from many sources contain biological and chemical contaminants. Appropriate technology for measuring the type and degree of hazardous contaminants in water for household use in the rural areas in the developing countries is lacking. Surprisingly little attention has been devoted to improving the health conditions of rural population in the developing countries although about 80 per cent of the population in the developing countries are concentrated in the rural areas. There is no prospect for community water supply in the rural areas of the developing countries and there is no system for professional control of water quality. It is therefore urgent to develop appropriate water purification and water quality control technology for the developing countries so that the UN:s goal ‘Health for all’ can be met.
Determination of the type of contaminants is important to choose the right kind of water treatment. The development of a smart sensor (reliable, cost effective, robust, portable, battery operated  and easy to handle) to determine the water quality is proposed. A theoretical work on computer modeling of hydraulics of filtration is also proposed.