Appropriate Scale Technologies for Water Supply and Purification

Smaller scale technologies are often very useful but overlooked.

Lower impact by matching technology to the need

• innovative technological devices
• institutional (and cultural) support for the implementation
  • such as that it will be accepted by local users
• strong backing from information technologies and educational support
• adaptive - can suit the particular purpose and be improved through use

Examples relating to water:

• windmill driven water pumps
  • Aeromotor
• solar (photovoltaic) driven water pumps
  • deep wells need bigger arrays (1 kwatt)
  • shallow wells and shorter distances - smaller arrays (80 watts)
• shallow water treadle pump
  • Paul Polak - Out of Poverty
• drip irrigation
  • as installed in Nicaragua
    
  • REWHIN project

Importance of this scale of technology (not just for water)

• individual installations are cheaper and can be funded locally
• community is involved
• can be fixed locally
• can be changed or improved more easily
• innovation can spread through the adoption of the components in fresh ways