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Document 525 FINAL DESIGN REPORT

CHAPTER: COUNTRY: COMMUNITY: PROJECT:

Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi, East Africa Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) MCV Water Treatment System

PREPARED BY John Pepe, PE Mike Moora, PE Chase Nelson, EIT Kevin Bingley, PE November 14, 2010

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System

Preliminary Design Report, Part 1 Administrative Information


1.0 CONTACT INFORMATION
Name John Pepe Kevin Bingley Chase Nelson Chakunja Sibale Mike Moora Email john.pepe1@gmail Phone (907) 830-9231 Chapter EWB-SCA EWB-SCA EWB-SCA MCV EWB-SCA

Role Project Lead & President Health Point Person #1 Health Point Person #2 NGO/Community Contact Education Lead

kevin_panama@hotmail.com (907) 223-7717 cnelson@dowlhkm.com malawichildrensvillage@yah oo.co.uk MikeMoora@pdceng.com (715) 554-1991 011-265-8597033 (907) 743-3263

2.0

TRAVEL HISTORY
Action PreAssessment Description of Trip

Dates of Travel June 2008 September 2008

August 2009

Performed by Julie Fischer, PE. Initial contacts with MCV personnel and locals established needs. Existing system described. Sketch of MCV and distribution system created. Site photographs. Assessment Performed by Mike Horne, PLS. Topographical survey of the site and vicinity. More detailed description of existing system and site map created. Additional discussions with locals and photographs. Initial round of field water quality testing conducted and samples collected for export to a US analytical laboratory. Pre-Design Performed by John Pepe, PE. Further information gathering and Development discussion with MCV in preparation of the design development.

3.0

PROJECT LOCATION
Latitude: -14 22 10.21, Longitude: +35 10 25.53

Malawis Mangochi District, shown in Figure 1, covers an area of 6,273 squarekilometers (km) and home to a mostly Yao population of over 610,000. The Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) campus is located along the Southwestern tip of Lake Malawi, adjacent to the main highway (M10), approximately 10 kilometers (km) north of the town of Mangochi. The District is a transit hub with roads leading to all regions of Malawi and Mozambique to the east. In addition, the district is on the Lake Malawi floodplain. The lake, ninth largest in the world, is the third largest and most southerly in the Rift Valley lake system after Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika). The lake rests approximately 500 meters (m) above sea level and stretches 570 km from north to south.

Figure 1

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System

Preliminary Design Report, Part 2 Technical Information


1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Preliminary Design Development Report summarizes site assessment findings and the conceptual engineering design associated with the development of a water treatment system for the Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) located in the Mangochi District of Central Malawi, Africa. Reference the EWB-SCAs (507) Assessment Phase report for detailed review of the project assessment information. Listed below are the early site assessment findings and the preliminary design direction: Currently, MCV is served by surface water pumped from Lake Malawi. MCV has a functioning distribution system with no water treatment. The distribution system does not require significant upgrades to add treatment. Evident through the field and laboratory testing conducted (detailed in the Assessment Phase Report), the source water is generally high quality with non-detectable levels of metals and semi-volatile dissolved organics. While turbidity is generally low, seasonal heavy rains result in elevated levels (not characterized by this team). The raw water also has moderate levels of coliform bacteria and simple hydrocarbons (biological oxygen demand). The presence of coliform bacteria is consistent with health assessments conducted on MCV residents. As discussed in the Assessment Phase Report, 10 different treatment technologies were evaluated for potentially treating the MCV source water. Through the evaluation process, filtration, activated carbon adsorption, followed by chlorine disinfection were selected as the unit operations comprising the preferred treatment option.

2.0

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

MCV was started by Malawian Dr. Chakunja Sibale and former Peace Corps volunteer Dr. Kevin Denny in 1996. Dr. Sibale is the current director of MCV. In Malawi, over 500,000 children have lost their parents to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Some 3,000 of these children, known as "AIDS orphans", from 36 villages receive secondary education, health care, AIDS education, and general support from MCV. Anchorage based physician and MCV board members, Dr. Tom Nighswander and his wife Ruth, spend one to two months each year in Malawi administering the MCV clinic. Numerous other Anchorage-based partnerships currently provide funding and volunteer opportunities at MCV. MCV began as a residential orphanage and community health and orphan care program. In recent years, the program has greatly expanded and now the bulk of MCV resources are used to fund and run the secondary and vocational school. The school charges fees for private students while orphans under MCV care attend for free. Orphans over the age of 3 years reside with foster families in the 36 catchment villages, while orphans under the age of 3 live in a nursery on the

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System MCV campus. The nursery building burned down in 2007 and a new nursery is currently operated by Open Arms Infant Home, a Blantyre-based group (www.openarmsmalawi.org). Representatives from MCV and Dr. Nighswander contacted the EWB Southcentral Alaska (EWB-SCA) Professionals in April 2008 requesting assistance with engineering and construction of a water treatment system for the campus. Since that time, EWB-SCA has performed three site assessment trips to MCV and evaluated numerous treatment options in an effort to select the most appropriate for their needs. All coordination and decision making for the project is done through the MCV Board of Directors and in cooperation with Dr. Sibale in Malawi.

3.0 3.1

FACILITY DESIGN Description of the Existing Facilities

The MCV campus consists of two secondary school classroom buildings, vocational school classrooms, kitchen, offices, student hostels (boys and girls dormitory), library, medical clinic, various storage buildings, a security building/gatehouse, agriculture fields, and a chicken coop. See Appendix A - Site Map for further details. The existing water distribution system serving MCV was installed in 1999 and is represented in the Appendix A plan view map. Raw water from Lake Malawi is pumped from an existing pump house, approximately 400 meters, to the main campus storage tanks. No water treatment of any type is included in the existing system. Raw lake water is distributed from the two existing elevated storage tanks (T-1, T-2) from which the branch piping serves taps, and shower and toilet facilities within the MCV campus. The existing pump house, located on the lake shore, contains three motor-driven pumps on an elevated concrete platform. The main pump (P-2, Appendix B) was installed in October 2008 and is driven by a 10 HP motor to fill the two existing elevated storage tank (T-1, T-2) daily. The two smaller pumps (P-1 A&B) are identical, with 4 HP motors and are used for secondary tasks (i.e. watering vegetable garden plots). Routine maintenance is performed on the pumps approximately once per month by MCVs maintenance staff.

3.2

Description of the New Facilities and Preliminary Design Calculations

3.2.1 Process Capacity


The water treatment system is designed to accommodate future user demands. The estimated buildings current and future occupancies are based on discussions between the EWB-SCA and MCV. The estimated occupancy values are presented in Table 1.

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System Table 1 Current and Future Building Occupancy
Building Class Room 1 Class Room 2 Class Room 3 Class Room 4 Girls Hostel Boys Hostel Main Office Carpentry Shop Mechanic Shop Tea Room Sewing Shop TOTAL Current Occupancy 2010 70 80 80 70 15 45 8 25 15 3 20 431 Future Occupancy 2015-2020 70 80 80 70 95 145 8 25 15 3 20 611

Based upon current pumping rates and occupants, the total daily water usage is approximately 33,000 liters. Therefore, the per capita water usage is 76.6 liters/day. Utilizing this usage rate, the future occupancy water demand for MCV is estimated at 46,800 liters/day. Three water storage tanks will be used to store potable water, and provide sufficient residence time for effective chlorination.. The tanks (T-1, T-2, and T-3) will use the existing distribution piping1 to supply the MCV campus. The primary existing and planned piping is depicted on the Site Plan. The water storage capacity for each elevated tank is based on the occupancy estimated for the buildings that they serve. Table 2 outlines the design capacity for each tank unit. Table 2 Water Storage Volume Summary
Number of Tanks 1 2 3 Approximate Parallel Series Per Tank Nominal Total Nominal Working Fill Time, Fill Time, Volume, L Volume, L Volume, L (c) hrs (d) hrs (e) 6,000 6,000 5400 4.65 0.9 5,000 10,000 9000 4.65 1.5 5,000 15,000 13500 4.65 2.25 Total 31,000 27,900 4.65 4.65 (c) Working volume assumed 90% of nominal volume. (d) Assumes simultaneous fill of entire working volume. (e) Assumes the working volume of the tank system is filled in series. Fill time in this table is for current water usage. At future occupancy, EWB-SCA predicts a total fill time of 6.8 hours, over two different pump runs.

Tank ID T-1 (existing) T-2 (modified) T-3 (new) Notes:

3.2.2 System Design Flow Rates and Capacities


1

T-3 will be added, as will new distribution piping to the Boys Hostel.

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System

The nominal flow rate for system operation has been selected as follows in Table 3. Table 3 Treatment System Normal & Design Flowrates
US gallons/min. @ 60 F 26.4 115% x 26.4 = 30.3 Flowrate, Liters/min. @ 15 C 100.0 115% x 100 = 115

Normal Operation (a) Design Maximum (b) Notes:

(a) Flow rate assumed for tank fill times and estimated run time. (b) Flow rate used to select pump, size piping, and filters.

Therefore under the normal operation flow rate of 100 liters/min, the proposed storage tank system will fill from empty in approximately 4.65 hours. This value will vary depending on the actual working volume and water consumption during the fill cycle. At future occupancy levels, EWB-SCA predicts the total fill time to increase to 6.8 hours. Since the future daily water demand is greater than the working volume of the three tanks, the tanks will be filled twice a day. The frictional headloss criteria used for pipe sizing are presented in Table 4. Table 4 Line Sizing Criteria
Criteria Value or Basis Pump Suction Frictional loss 0.5 to 1.0 ft of water per 100 ft Leq Velocity, maximum 8 ft/sec Pump Discharge Frictional loss 1.0 to 3.5 ft of water per 100 ft Leq Velocity, maximum 12 ft/sec Tank Gravity Discharge Frictional loss 0.5 to 1.0 ft of water per 100 ft Leq Velocity, maximum 8 ft/sec Equations & Formulas Frictional loss, all water services Darcy or Hazen Williams Notes: (f) Leq = equivalent length of piping in feet, accounting for valves, fittings

3.2.3 Pumping & Transfer


New pumps, designated as the Raw Water Feed Pumps (P-3A&B), will deliver the raw water to the treatment system from Lake Malawi. While this represents a single pumping service, the two 100% pumps will be installed in parallel, with one operational and the second as an installed spare. By installing a new pump into the existing pump house and dedicating it to the MCV Water Treatment System, interferences from other raw water users (agricultural irrigation and Open

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System Arms) are minimized. Flow control will be established to correspond to the capacity of the treatment unit operations, and intermittent demand from other users will not affect the treatment system operation. The flow rate delivered by P-3 will be controlled by a self-regulating control valve on the discharge of the pump. This will ensure that the chlorine solution, injected at a fixed flow rate, will be diluted with filtered raw water at a fixed flow rate, and maintain the desired chlorine concentration. P-3 pump conditions of service and materials are summarized in Table 5 below. Table 5 Raw Water Pump Conditions of Service
Pump type Centrifugal Flowrate, US Gal/min @ TDH (g) Normal 26.4 gpm @ 120 ft Design 30.4 gpm @ 134 ft Materials of construction Housing CS or Bronze Shaft SS Impeller TBD Bronze or SS Seals Seal flush plan None Seal material TBD Notes: (g) TDH = Total Dynamic Head in feet of water.

The new Raw Water Pump footprint is relatively large, sufficient to require a new and separate enclosure, independent of the existing pump house. This structure will be provided as part of this project, and will be located adjacent to the existing pump house. Building and pump layout are detailed in the design drawings (Appendix A). Generally, the design is in keeping with other structures installed at MCV. To operate the new Raw Water Feed Pump, it is necessary to include the following changes to the existing piping as part of this project: Suction Piping: To accommodate the addition of new pumps, new suction line will be installed from the point of intake in Lake Malawi to the intake manifold. This line will be sized to accommodate simultaneous operation of both Raw Water Pumps, in the event that this operational option may be required in the future. Discharge Piping: The existing discharge piping from the two existing pumps will be modified to prevent any untreated raw water from reaching the existing raw water tank T1 or the new T-2 and T-3 tanks, while still allowing untreated water to continue to be used for agricultural irrigation and the Open Arms storage tanks. A separate feed line to the treatment system from the new pump service (P-3A&B) will be provided.

3.2.4 Treatment System Descriptions


The water treatment system is composed of pre- and post-filtration for suspended solids, a granular activated carbon filter for dissolved organic removal, and chlorination prior to storage. Details on each treatment system component are detailed in Sections 3.2.5 through 3.2.11.

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System

3.2.5 Pre-Filtration
The Pre-Filters (F-1 A&B) remove solid contaminants from the raw water, thus preventing plugging, blinding, and damage of the expensive downstream activated carbon bed. The filters are guarded from gross solids overload by parallel upstream basket strainers, for removal of material greater than approximately 3 millimeters in diameter. Conditions of service for the upstream strainers (S-1 A/B) summarized in Table 6 below. Table 6 Strainer S-1 A&B, Conditions of Service
Type Removable basket Internal access via Spin off cover Materials of construction Basket SS, PVC, or CPVC Housing SS, PVC, or CPVC Inlet/Outlet Nozzles SS, PVC, or CPVC, NPT threaded Solids Retention 99% >1/8 Pressure Drop Clean < 0.2 ft H2O (0. 1 psi) Dirty < 4,6 ft H2O (2.0 psi) (h) Housing design conditions 100 psig @ 100F Housing relief valve Not provided Notes: (h) Unit will be taken off-line and cleaned before pressure differential rises above stated value.

Two parallel filters, each capable of handling 100% of the system design flow rate are provided. This redundancy allows one filter to be off-line for servicing and cleaning, while the other is in service. Conditions of service for the filters (F-1 A&B) are detailed in Table . Table 7 Pre-Filter F-1 A&B, Conditions of Service
Media Type Internal access via Materials of construction Basket Housing Inlet/Outlet Nozzles Material Solids Retention Pressure Drop Clean Dirty Housing design conditions Housing relief valve Removable cartridge or bag w/ basket support Spin off cover SS, PPL, or PVDF SS, PPL, or PVDF SS, PVC, or CPVC, NPT threaded or flanged PPL fabric and ring 99% >5 micron < 4.6 ft H2O (2 psi) < 23.1ft H2O (10 psi) 100 psig @ 100F Not provided

The filters will be specified to remove 99% of incoming solids greater than approximately 5 microns in diameter. The design concept for this service is to use cartridge filter media (bag or cartridge) that can be removed from the filter housing and cleaned manually with a brush. The selection of the media type will depend upon local reliability (i.e. local availability, quality, and durability). Replacement media will be included in the spare parts inventory, and will also be available from local or regional distributors.

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System

3.2.6 Granular Activated Carbon Water Treatment


Selection of GAC Water Treatment: High variability (i.e. seasonal fluctuation) in the quantity of dissolved organics in the MCV water supply makes effective water chlorination difficult. While chlorine injection is set at a constant rate, variability in organic levels may result in both over-chlorination (when organics are low) and under-chlorination (when organics are high). Over-chlorination may cause: Chlorine waste resulting in increased operation costs. Taste and odor problems in the delivered water resulting in abandonment of the treated water and use of less desirable water supplies by the system beneficiaries.

In contrast, elevated organic loading that causes under-chlorination may cause: The formation of unwanted and harmful chlorine byproducts. The passage of biological contaminants into the distribution system. Taste and turbidity problems in the delivered water resulting in abandonment of the treated water and use of less desirable water supplies by the system beneficiaries.

Therefore, pre-chlorination water treatment aimed at dissolved organics mitigation must be implemented to ensure a constant rate chlorination system is effective. Reduction of the dissolved organics can be achieved by Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) water treatment. GAC is an adsorption process requiring minimum operation and maintenance (in terms of labor) as compared with slow sand filtration2. While GAC replacement may drive operation costs to exceed that of a slow sand filter, over the long-term it is anticipated that the time and labor savings will justify the selection of GAC. Goal of GAC Usage: The goal of using GAC is to keep the pass-through quantity of dissolved organics to a minimum level to ensure that a constant-rate chlorination system can perform satisfactorily without the ill effects of over- or under-chlorination listed above. Media Selection and Variability in Performance: Ideally, the best performing GAC on the market would be made available to MCV. However, due to the nature of the commercial and physical environment in Malawi, GAC may be selected based on regional availability, cost, and overall performance. All three selection factors are highly variable and the performance characteristics of GAC used for initial vessel fill may differ from that available at time of replacement. As this is the case, at each bed replacement, actual GAC performance will be monitored and GAC bed life calculated. Performance Expectations and Establishing Protocol: As stated, the actual performance of the GAC media available may be highly variable as source and manufacturing quality may be
2

Slow sand filtration was initially selected for removal of organic compounds and was later rejected based on the unrealistic volume of sand required, and the associated maintenance issues relating to cleaning the bed.

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System unpredictable and difficult to analyze in the field. As such, the following options exist for determining breakthrough point and life of the selected GAC media. Both options may be combined for best results. 1. Field Testing at the Time of Installation: The Rapid Small Scale Column Test (RSSCT) can predict the actual performance of the selected GAC. With the RSSCT, performance is predicted from a small-scale test apparatus as the time to a breakthrough (or % of breakthrough) of a specific compound or water quality characteristic. In this case, conductivity could be used to measure dissolved organic concentrations prior to the apparatus and after it. Once the conductivity after the apparatus approaches that of the input, breakthrough has been reached. Breakthrough on a small scale system can be used to predict breakthrough on a full-scale system This is an analytical procedure that can be performed in the field prior to startup if proper equipment is available. 2. System Monitoring as Established through Operational Protocol: A second method is to provide the water system operators with an operational protocol that outlines the procedure to test the conductivity levels of the output water. Through usage, conductivity levels will increase and these values are to be recorded as a percentage of the pre-treatment conductivity levels. This percentage can be used to estimate the breakthrough curve and the point of exhausting the GAC bed. Based upon water quality data that demonstrate conductivity levels routinely fall below 300 uS, an initial point of 50% exhaustion (i.e. 150 uS) can be established. If the breakthrough curve is found to be linear, then conductivity testing can be cut back from quarterly to semiannually.
GAC Vessel Selection and Placement: The vessels construction material (e.g. composite, painted

steel, welded, bolted, etc.) shall be determined by local preference, availability, and ability to repair. Currently, no data exists as to the type of vessel that the water system operators (or other local hire) are best able to maintain and repair. For vessel dimensions, refer to Table 8. A minimum pressure rating of 150 psig is required. In addition, the selected vessel shall have an inlet and outlet pipe nominal size of 40 mm (1.5 inches) with either flanged or universal connectors. Table 8 Key Design Parameters of GAC Bed
Water Characteristics Conductivity Conductivity Conversion Factor 310 1 ppm ppm gpm hrs gals liters gpm/ft2 gpm/ft2 uS Notes Used dry season recorded To TDS at 100% organics (0.5 to 1; higher = conservative) (mg/L) Typical: 80-90% of organics (mg/L) Notes Future Design flowrate To meet future water demand

Total Dissolved Solids 350 Organic Removal Rate 0.9 Organic Loading Rate 315 Flow Characteristics Pumping Rate 30.3 Daily Pump Run Time 6.8 Total Daily Pumped Water 12362 Total Daily Pumped Water 46792 GAC Minimum Superficial Vel 1 GAC Maximum Superficial Vel 10 GAC Bed Characteristics

Water flow per surface area Cannot exceed Notes

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System
Number of Beds 4 Bed Surface Area, Per Bed 1.13 Total Surface Area 4.52 Bed Diameter, Per Bed 1.20 Bed Depth, Per Bed 3.28 Bed Volume, Per Bed 3.71 Total GAC Volume 14.83 Velocity Through Bed 0.90 Velocity Through Bed 53.74 GAC Bulk Density 620 GAC Bulk Density 38.71 Void Fraction of Bed 0.4 Grain Internal Void Fraction 0.65 Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT) Tracer Residence Time 0.048 Tracer Residence Time 2.89 EBCT 0.061 EBCT 3.66 Breakthrough (BR) Curve Freundlich Coeff. (kF) 0.0092 Freundlich Empirical Constant 0.67 Equilibruim Concentration 0.434 ft2 ft2 ft ft ft3 ft3 ft/min ft/hr kg/m3 lbs/ft3

Needs to match purchased vessel

Superficial Vel Superficial Vel

Notes hrs mins hrs mins Notes chloroform use as surrogate mgO/mg C BV ft ft/hr BV BV BV BV hrs days years Notes yr

Middle of Breakthrough Curve 854549.1 Breakthrough Length 6 Breakthrough Velocity 6.29E-05 Partition Fraction 1081708 Breakthrough Time Length 1563201 Breakthrough Begins 72948.59 Exhausted Bed 1636150 Run Time Calculations Time to Bed Change-out Time to Change-out Time to Change-out Time to Change-out 854549.1

At 50% Typical=6

If negative, then breakthough begins at startup Notes Assume middle of BR is max allowed organic passage

52160.83 7670.71 21.01564 Cost Calculations Cost for New Bed(s) $ 2,230 Cost per year of Bed Life $ 106.11

3.2.7 Post-Filtration
The Post-Filter (F-3) is located downstream of the GAC Filter to remove solid particles expected to dislodge from the activated carbon bed as it ages and is pulsed as water flow starts and stops. Since solids loading is expected to be significantly lower downstream of the GAC filter than on the raw influent only a single filter is recommended. Like the Pre-Filter, the Post-Filter is specified for removable filter media and manual cleaning. Replacement elements will be included in the spare parts inventory and will also be available from local or regional distributors. The conditions of service for the F-3, Post Filter are presented in Table 9. Table 9 Post Filter F-3, Conditions of Service

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System
Type Internal access via Materials of construction Basket Housing Inlet/Outlet Nozzles Bag Material Solids Retention Pressure Drop Clean Dirty Housing design conditions Housing relief valve Removable cartridge or bag w/ basket support Spin off cover SS, PPL, or PVDF SS, PPL, or PVDF SS, PVC, or CPVC, NPT threaded or flanged PPL fabric and ring 99% >5 micron < 4.6 ft H2O (2 psi) < 23.1 ft H2O (10 psi) 100 psig @ 100F Not provided

3.2.8 Hypochlorite Solution Mixing & Injection


GAC Water Treatment and Chlorination: If the GAC treatment system is operated correctly, then the GAC effluent will have a low level dissolved organic concentration. When organic loads are maintained below ~150 uS (as measured by Conductivity) and the flow rate is nearly constant, then constant-rate hypochlorite injection can maintain proper chlorination of the delivered water supply. The chlorination system will be installed after post-filtration. Chlorine Selection: For design considerations, 70% High Test Calcium Hypochlorite (HTH) is assumed for use in creating the chlorine solution feed stock used for raw water disinfection. Actual availability and characteristics of powdered HTH may vary in the region. Chlorine injection rate, mixing, and monitoring protocol provided to the water system operators will be suited to deal with variations in the quality of HTH available. HTH is relatively stable and can be stored onsite for extended durations (~ 1 yr) and still maintain its effectiveness. Water Pumping Rate and Cycle: The treatment system through-put (water pumping rate) used for chlorination system design is 30.3 gpm (100 liter/min x 115% design margin). The chlorination system will operate only when the Raw Water Pump is running. This feature will not be automated, i.e. it will require operator attention to energize the Chlorine Injection Pump when there is raw water flow. Under current water demand estimates, the chlorination system is estimated to operate 4.65 hours a day, and 6.8 hours a day at the estimated future water demand. Chlorine Storage: HTH powder will be stored in an air- and light-tight container that is kept out of direct sunlight. When HTH powder is mixed with treated water to make the chlorine solution feed stock, it will be stored in a plastic storage drum or carboy, in a well ventilated and secure building. The HTH solution container will be sized for a minimum of two weeks of operation without refill. Chlorine Solution: Only treated water (collected post GAC treatment) will be used in the creation of the chlorine solution feed stock. Assuming a 70% HTH is used, a -lb HTH and 30 gallons of water (113.5 L) mixture will result in an approximate chlorine solution concentration

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System of 58,000 mg of active chlorine per liter of water (equivalent to 58,000 parts per million (ppm)). This concentration will be adjusted once the following information is collect: 1. Treated source water specific chlorine usage rate (collected onsite). 2. Range of the chlorine solution injection rate is known (collected from equipment specification) The chlorine solution can either be mixed with a dedicated hand mixer or an electric batch mixer. Injector [Dosing Pump] and Feed Rate: The chlorine injector will be an electric-drive pulse dosing pump. The pump should be easily maintained and operated in the field and replacement parts shall be common in Southern Africa. The injector shall have at minimum the capability of dose length and dose interval adjustment. The general formula below will be provided to MCV operators for setting the chlorine solution injection rate:
Pumping Rate (GPM ) Chlorine Dose ( ppm) Hours of Operation (hrs / day) 60 = Injection Rate (GPD) Chlorine Solution Strength ( ppm)

The following were used for preliminary calculation, based on the normal flowrate of water: Pumping Rate = 26.4 gpm (100 liters/min) Chlorine Dose = 10.4 ppm (after mixing raw H2O and injectant) Chlorine Solution Strength = 58,000 ppm ** For an estimated Injection Rate of 2.2 GPD Due to variability of the actual working conditions, the injector pump will be rated for a range of injection rates of 1.5 to 10.0 GPD. Chlorine Residual: The target chlorine residual after 30 minutes of contact time is 0.4 ppm. Ideally, the first tap in the distribution system should not have a chlorine residual above 0.6 ppm, while the furthest tap (by pipe distance) from the chlorination point should not be below 0.2 ppm, at any time. Under real working conditions the range of 1.0 ppm to 0.2 ppm is acceptable. Values outside of this range should not occur in the distribution system under normal operating conditions. Testing, Operation, and Monitoring: Each time the chlorine solution holding tank is refilled, the residual needs to be checked by system operators. This check is necessary, as the actual chlorine concentration in the chlorine solution will vary due to variability in solution creation. As such, the dosing length and interval may need to be adjusted to ensure that the chlorine residuals in the distribution system remain in the recommended range. To initially set and check the chlorine residual a bucket test can be performed in the treatment building. The chlorine residuals at the first and last taps in the distribution system can be checked to verify that they are in the acceptable range after the storage tanks have cycled over once. If the tap residuals do not fall within the acceptable range, then the injector pump must be

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System adjusted. The bucket test can be used to shift the residual in the direction (+/-) required to maintain desirable tap residuals. Chlorine concentrations will be estimated using a regional available chlorine testing kit or colorimeter.

3.2.9

Disinfection Time Requirements

Basic Time Requirement Standards: Thirty minutes of contact time between the chlorine solution and the water supply is required for proper disinfection. Timing begins when the mixture of chlorine solution and water pass through the inline mixer located immediately following the chlorine injection point. Following chlorination, the treated water flows to one or more of the three (3) storage tank units(T-1,2,&3). Disinfection of pathogenic bacteria with chlorine requires approximately 30 minutes. Between the point where chlorine enters the system (at the injection mixer, M-1) and tanks T-1, 2, & 3, approximately 1 to 3 minutes of residence time is involved . Thus, a majority of the disinfection process will occur in the storage tanks. Routine Operation: The water system will be designed to allow for batch-wise water treatment (water delivered when the pumps are running) and continuous water delivery from the storage tanks to the taps. Under normal operating conditions the depth of water in each of the storage tanks should be maintained above 1 feet (30 cm) [minimal allowable depth needs to be determined]. Therefore, storage tanks should be refilled prior to the water depth falling below this level. The highest of the storage tanks, believed to be T-3 (this will be determined during construction) will be installed with an overflow. Operators will know all the storage tanks have been filled when the overflow at the highest tank begins to discharge. This aligns with current MCV practice. Emergency Operation Protocol: In the case where the water level in one or more tanks drops below the minimum allowed depth, the following protocol shall be followed to ensure adequate contact time. Prior to pump startup the tank(s) with water depth below this minimum level shall have their outlet pipe shut-off valve closed. The valve(s) shall remain closed until a minimum of one hour after the tank(s) began to refill. One hour of tank isolation will help maintain the required 30 minutes of contact time while not keeping a portion of the distribution system dry longer than necessary. In addition, one hour of isolation will help prevent short-circulating in the tank of un-chlorinated water once the outlet valve is opened.

3.2.10

Treated Water Storage & Distribution

The storage tanks have working volumes as detailed in Table 2. Fill times for a single tank with a working volume of 4500 L @ 100 L/min, is approximately 45 minutes. As 30 minutes of contact time is required, at times when filling begins with a tank empty, some means of physical or administrative control is required to prevent users from withdrawing water. EWB-SCAs

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System design basis for ensuring MCV residents do not draw water from a storage tank being filled is based on two (2) levels of redundant protection3: 1. Employ block valves on the discharge piping of the storage tanks. Accessibility of these valves must limited to designated operating personnel via administrative control (i.e. at tank elevation). 2. Provide locking devices on the storage tank discharge valves (i.e. lock hand wheels or levers) to ensure unauthorized opening of the valves.

3.2.11 Waste Generation & Disposal


The primary waste from this system will be intermittent solid residues manually removed from the strainers and filters. These wastes are expected to be non-toxic, i.e. handling and disposal are not a concern. It is expected that during periods of heavy rains the rate of solids production will be more significant than during the remainder of the year. Solids recovered from the filters should be stored in buckets or drums, and disposed of in pit latrines, or periodically transported to the MCV landfill where other solid wastes are disposed. EWB-SCA estimates the lifetime4 of the GAC bed to be greater than 10 years, based on the depletion of the adsorption capability for removing dissolved organic compounds. Physical plugging or blinding of the bed may occur before depletion of the adsorptive capacity, which may require earlier replacement. In either case, the resultant spent carbon should be handled as hazardous material, requiring workers to use rubber or latex gloves to prevent direct skin contact. Spent GAC should be stored in a sealed drum and handled according to the procedures to be developed in the Operations and Maintenance Manual. The remaining waste stream associated with the treatment system is the container for the hypochlorite powder. EWB-SCA estimates an annual consumption rate of less than 5 kilogram of hypochlorite, so the rate for emptying a 25 kilogram container will be quite insignificant. This container may be rinsed with water and disposed, reused, or recycled with other MCV plastics.

3.3

Drawings

See Appendix A for design drawings.

4.0

PROJECT OWNERSHIP

Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) has been in successful operation for over ten years in the rural Mangochi district. MCVs current maintenance staff includes carpenters, an electrician, plumber and vocational students in training. MCVs current staff constructed much of the existing water
3

Automated controls such as timers, and outlet control valves were rejected based upon cost, complexity and EWB design guidance.
4

A more accurate prediction of carbon consumption will be available following rapid small scale pilot testing to be performed during commissioning. Refer the section entitled Pilot Testing of GAC Filter Performance.

2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System distribution system and will operate and maintain the new water treatment facilities. Annual maintenance and operations costs for the system will incorporated into the yearly MCV budget once these costs are fully developed. The director, Dr. Sibale, is responsible for daily operations at MCV. He oversees all operations and will assume full ownership and maintenance of the new treatment system. In order to ensure complete ownership of the proposed facilities, the construction phase of the project will be lead by MCV leadership and staff. While EWB-SCA team members will provide onsite technical support and quality control, MCV will organize and lead all construction efforts, including scheduling, contracting of services, material delivery, site work, etc. This approach will allow MCV staff to develop intimate knowledge of the processes to build and assemble the proposed water quality infrastructure (i.e. GAC Filter, water tank, chlorination unit, etc.).

5.0

CONSTRUCTABILITY

See attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for details. A draft of this document has been reviewed by MCV and discussed in detail with Dr. Sibale and maintenance staff. EWBSCA will continue to incorporate comments and concerns from MCV into the final draft. This document will serve to define the roles and responsibilities of both MCV and EWB-SCA. It will be signed and agreement of terms will be made before any construction begins.

6.0

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

The water treatment system will be operated and maintained by MCV maintenance staff. EWBSCA will provide training and commissioning of the new treatment system for select maintenance personnel. Detailed Operations and Maintenance manuals will be provided and stored in the Directors Office. The director, Dr. Sibale, oversees all operations of the facility and will ensure the system is maintained and operated in accordance with EWB-SCAs guidelines and specifications. Through this partnership, MCV has provided insight to EWB-SCA in defining the need, and in the collection of crucial site and operational characteristics that guided the development of an appropriate solution. Since MCV maintains a well trained staff tasked with facilities operation and maintenance, a slightly more technologically advanced solution to the water quality issues may be more manageable than a technologically simpler solution. More specifically, while the proposed activated carbon (GAC) and injector chlorination systems require daily oversight, a low-tech solution (i.e. slow sand filter and drip chlorination system) requires more intensive labor and time requirements for annual media cleanings and replacement. Adding simple inspection and operator tasks into a set daily routine is more easily incorporated into their staffs schedule than a major filter cleaning that requires several days and additional personnel to accomplish. EWB-SCA carefully considered local and regional availability of all items in the design of the system improvements. In addition, materials and equipment were chosen based upon existing

2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System familiarity of each by MCV staff and the ease of training MCV staff on the operation, repair, and replacement of each item. In conjunction with the construction phase of the project, EWB members will incorporate onsite training will include: 1. Equipment assembly, operation, and repair. 2. GAC filter and chlorination system operation and maintenance. 3. GAC media lifecycle estimation and replacement timing. 4. System disinfection (shock and routine). 5. Chlorine concentration and water quality monitoring. 6. Storage tank inspection and level control. 7. System troubleshooting. 8. Water-related public health trainings. All trainings will be interactive, hands-on exercises developed to ensure that MCV staff have a thorough understanding of each topic. Trainings will be both scheduled throughout the construction phase of the project and be ad hoc as needs arise. EWB-SCA members will remain onsite after construction for sufficient time to ensure that MCV staff possess a working knowledge of all topics. Approximately one year following construction phase end, EWB will provide onsite follow-up to ensure that operation and maintenance has been correctly and successfully implemented, systems are functioning as designed, and provide follow-up trainings based upon MCV-derived and EWB-assessed needs. In addition to onsite support, EWB members will be available for distance assistance via telephone and email. The project development approach taken by MCV and EWB is aimed at ensuring the long-term success of the proposed infrastructure by empowering MCV to not only accept ownership of the need and solution, but also to possess expert knowledge in the construction, operation, maintenance, and expansion of the proposed facilities. The key element in achieving this is in the understanding that EWBs role is as a foreign technical expert that provides informational resources to MCV to assist them in solving their self-assessed needs.

7.0

SUSTAINABILITY

The Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) has successfully operated for more than ten years. During this time, MCV leadership, lead by the Director, Dr. Sibale, has updated and expanded facilities to meet the needs of the students, staff, and school as a whole. MCV has demonstrated the ability to foster internal and external support for projects and achieve them in a timely and efficient manner. MCV, operating more as a community-based organization than a rural community, maintains a trained maintenance crew that includes carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. This staff, in conjunction with the schools vocational students, provide consistency in the operation and maintenance of existing facilities, including their water and sanitation systems. Under the direction of Dr. Sibale, MCV independently identified the need to upgrade the existing water system to improve its water quality. This approach of self-assessment allowed MCV to accept ownership of the problem, while being cognizant of current public health concerns

2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved

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Document 525 - Final Design Report Southcentral Alaska Professionals Malawi Childrens Village (MCV) - Water Treatment System originating from poor water quality. To develop a solution, MCV sought technical and financial support from their existing network of partners. Their outreach eventually extended beyond that network to form a new partnership with EWB-SCA. As described in the Ownership section above, the system will be owned and operated by trained MCV maintenance personnel. MCVs ten year history of successful operation in one the poorest regions of Malawi shows the presence of strong, knowledgeable, and directed leadership and management of this organization. EWB-SCA has made every effort to develop an effective treatment system with the lowest possible maintenance costs. It is our intent to supply only locally (within Malawi) available equipment and materials. Further, as part of this project, we will provide spare parts and stockpiled materials as allowed by the remaining project budget. A complete operations and maintenance budget and estimate will be developed and discussed with MCV. This will allow for future planning of system operating costs.

8.0

COST ESTIMATE

Appendix D summarizes the EWB-SCA Cost Estimate.

9.0

LEAD ASSESSMENT

This document was prepared by John Pepe (Project Lead), Mike Moora, Chase Nelson, and Kevin Bingley. Quality Control (QC) procedures included thorough review of the entire draft document by each team member prior to submittal. QC comments and suggested changes from each reviewer were tracked electronically and consolidated into a single master document.

10.0

ATTACHMENTS

Appendix A Final Design Drawings Appendix B Design Calculations Appendix C Memorandum of Understanding Appendix D Project Cost Estimate Appendix E Project Schedule Appendix F Project Health and Safety Plan Appendix G Data Sheets and Specifications

2007 Engineers Without Borders USA. All Rights Reserved

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