You are all invited to the first Science on Tap talk of 2015 featuring Dr. Chad Jafvert, a professor from the Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Jafvert will be giving a presentation entitled "Point-of-use drinking water treatment in rural communities in Colombia, East Africa, and Western China".

Abstract:
For the past four years, students at Purdue University have been designing drinking water treatment systems for use in developing rural areas around the globe. Over 50 undergraduate students have participated through service learning courses sponsored by the Global Engineering Program at Purdue, wi...th 11 of these students traveling to Colombia on four separate occasions. During these trips, the students have constructed and delivered point-of-use slow sand filters to 18 rural elementary schools in the Barbosa, Antioquia, Colombia area, with about 15 to 20 students at each school. The slow sand filters significantly improve water quality by removing particles and dissolved organics from the water, reducing turbidity below the U.S. drinking water standard for turbidity, and reducing taste and odor problems. The approach has been “to design” the units using small, inexpensive, specialized components which we check in our baggage (and which always receive curious looks from airport security people), for simple final construction at the point-of-use, using locally obtained 5 gallon pails and sand. In 2014, filters were constructed in Tanzania, Kenya, and Western China, and efforts are underway to expand delivery within these countries, and in South America.

Hope to see you all there!