Caminos de Agua Ceramic filters

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$29.39

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, Community

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Camino de Agua

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include CeraMaji, Tulip Table Top Filter, CT Filtron, and Tunsai (Rabbit) Ceramic Water Purifier.

Countries

Mexico

Manufacturing/Building Method

The product is manufactured by blending a local clay mix from Guanajuato state, Mexico, with carefully screened sawdust from a local sawmill. After water is added to the clay, the mixture it is pressed into molds. Once the molded filters have dried, they are packed into a kiln and fired, burning out the sawdust to achieve the desired porosity. The finished ceramic filters are impregnated with liquid colloidal silver. The filters are tested for quality control visually and with a variety of flow tests. Finally, the filters are flushed with water to remove any residual silver or loosely-bound minerals. All manufacture, processing, and testing happens in Mexico. Correspondence with the manufacturer

Intellectural Property Type

Open-source

User Provision Model

Caminos de Agua works with local communities and partnerships to provide open source products.

Distributions to Date Status

As of July 2018, 2336 units have been distributed.

Design Specifications

The filter is made from fired clay and attached to a 20 L water jug that gravity-feeds water through the ceramic filter. The column shape is more compact and robust than traditional ceramic pot filters, allowing for easier shipping and adaptability. The walls of the filter are 40% wider than most ceramic pot filters (0.5 in vs. 0.725 in). The filters are formed in a simple mold, with readily available materials, instead of a large mechanized press like traditional pot filters.

Technical Support

Provided by Caminos de Agua.

Replacement Components

The ceramic filter itself can be replaced through Caminos de Agua.

Lifecycle

Approximately 26,280 liters (25 L/day for 3-5 years)

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Testing results published by the manufacturer indicate surpassing all Mexican and US-EPA drinking water regulations.

Vetted Performance Status

Laboratory test results and reports on community pilot projects are available.

Safety

Safety precautions while installation and using the filter are available in the manual.

Complementary Technical Systems

Safe water storage unit.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Testing results published by the manufacturer indicate surpassing all Mexican and US-EPA drinking water regulations.

Evaluation methods

Water quality of the ceramic filters have been tested in the accredited laboratories and the filters are tested in the field and by academic institutes.

Other Information

Caminos de agua newsletters and other news

Year-end reports