The Philippines and the World Bank have created the Rural Water Supply (RWS) manual for small-scale providers. Photo: Department of Interior & Local Government(DILG).
The Philippine government – together with the World Bank, the United Nations through the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F) and other development partners – have launched a ‘local water governance toolbox’. The toolbox is aimed at small-scale water service providers (SSWPs) with less than 5,000 connections.
Otherwise known as “Tubig Yaman,” this new set of manuals and knowledge products on water and sanitation was unveiled at the ‘Water Knowledge Fair’ held in Manila in celebration of World Water Day. The manuals present a coherent set of guidelines that hopefully will help overcome operational difficulties and sustainability issues, which occur due to flaws in design assumptions, deficiencies in construction, and poor knowledge on operation and maintenance.
The Local Water Governance Toolbox was developed under the MDG-F programme on Enhancing Access to and Provision of Water Services with the Active Participation of the Poor (MDGF-1919) with funding from the Spanish Government through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Part of the toolbox is the Rural Water Supply (RWS) manual developed to guide operators, managers, government planners and contractors in designing better rural water systems. The three-part manual can be downloaded from the World Bank web site:
Rural Water Supply Manual
The manual deals mainly with technical issues, but the 3rd volume includes a useful overview of institutional models and arrangements, plus practical guidelines on administration, commercial operations and financial management.
Even though the Philippines is on track to meet its MDG target for water, almost 16 million Filipinos are still unable to access safe drinking water. SALINTUBIG is a government implementation and capacity building programme that aims to provide water systems to 455 unserved municipalities, barangays (villages), health centres and resettlement sites
In October 2011, President Aquino issued Executive Order 62 mandating the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to lead an inter-agency committee to develop a water resources sector master plan that will effectively address issues and challenges in the water sector.
The committee comprising National Economic and Development Authority and other agencies is also tasked to recommend institutional reforms to ensure effective implementation of the master plan.
Source: World Bank, 22 Mar 2012
Name: Ram Pump
Email address: alphonsevega@aol.com
Name of Parent: Stream
Civil Status: About to married with Slow Sand Filtration
Dependents: Potable Water Network & Trough Irrigation
Qualification: Highly bankable and humanitarian & ecologically friendly
Advocacy: Alternative Energy
Pre-Engineering: Field sketches on file; available on request
The appreciation of Sector Wide Approach can be link to humanitarian undertaken unlimitedly and in design development of Ram Pump and Slow Sand Filtration tandem for water sector tapping the force of nature in operation without using combustion machine, electrical power or any prime mover other than natural energy as an advocacy to alternative energy in converting stream water to unlimited supply of clean and safe drinking water.
RAM PUMP AND SLOW SAND FILTRATION TANDEM
Ram Pump and Slow Sand Filtration are both viable in the outskirt localities without combustion machine or electrical power when stream are compatible to operate the said pump. These tandem require minimal operator training and operating expenses with almost negligible replaceable parts and only subject for periodic maintenance. Both systems operate on elements of nature where ram pump is actuated by the effect of water hammer and slow sand filtration by gravity.
Typical streams are common on targeted areas for weir-pond to the depth of 2 meters in order to actuate discharge of 16 – 22 liters per second on a 100 mm diameter drive pipe for ram pumps and to obtain water head up to 15 meters or more. Our experience in ram pump design development and fabrication follows:
Design calculation for 100 mm diameter PVC schedule 40 drive pipe with corresponding 50 mm diameter PVC schedule 40 outflow pipe, 300 mm diameter x 810 mm pressure chamber and other gadgets.
a. On minimum discharge of 16 lps at 15-meter head:
0.6(16 lps) x (1.80/15) = 1.15 lps = 69 lpm = 4,140 lph = 99 cum per day
b. Same discharge at 20-meter head:
0.6(16 lps) x (1.80/20) = 0.86 lps = 52 lpm = 3,120 lph = 75 cum per day
c. Same discharge at 30-meter head:
0.6(16 lps) x (1.80/30) = 0.58 lps = 35 lpm = 2,100 lph = 50 cum per day
Rationale: Since ram pump has low fabrication cost, multiple units could be installed per weir-built to improve recovery/yield.
Slow Sand Filtration is a biological and non-pressurized process of pathogens control in cleaning water relying on gravity flow for the entire system. It works through the formation of glutinous layer on top of the sand bedding after two to three weeks consisting wide range of bacteria, fungi and other aquatic larvae. On this layer effective purification treatment commence as water passes through the viscid matrix where foreign matters are trapped, organic materials are dissolved, absorbed and metabolized. The end result of well-managed slow sand filter shall be 95 – 99% bacterial reduction and with the integration of calibrated chlorine dispenser before the clear water holding tank, the product will be a clean and safe drinking water.
Normally the rate of flow through the filtration layers is about 150 liters per square meter per hour depending on the texture and component of sands used. Trial for the actual porosity is necessary for the intended sands to obtain a good yield forecast.
Based on the general rate flow of 150 liters per square meter per hour, filtration bed of 30 square meters could yield clear water of 4.50 cum per hour; 108 cum per day. SPHERE standard on water usage is 16 liters per person per day and assuming that on this particular scenario shall be double; 3,375 individuals could be benefited; more or less a cluster of 500 household. A ram pump with 100 mm diameter drive pipe could yield about 99 cum stream water per day to 15 meter-head or more is indeed a good tandem.