Development And Performance Evaluation OfLow cost Water Filtration System Utilising LocallyAvailable Natural Materials

Abstract

Clean and safe drinking water remains inaccessible to millions of people worldwide, especially in rural and low-income regions where modern purification technologies are too costly or difficult to maintain. Natural-material-based filtration systems offer a viable alternative by utilizing widely available, renewable, and inexpensive resources. This study presents an original experimental design of a low-cost water filtration system developed using locally available natural materials such as coconut-shell activated charcoal, river sand, gravel, and powdered Moringa oleifera seeds. The aim was to assess the system’s effectiveness in reducing turbidity, microbial contamination, color, and odor in contaminated surface water. Three prototype systems were constructed and tested using standardized water-quality indicators. Results demonstrated significant improvements across all parameters, including an 89.3 percent reduction in turbidity and a 96.1 percent reduction in total coliform levels, with prototype three performing the best due to improved charcoal activation and a refined sand layer arrangement. The results suggest that natural-material filtration systems provide an affordable, sustainable, and practical option for household-level water treatment when combined with post-filtration disinfection. The study concludes that this approach can help bridge critical gaps in safe- water access in underserved communities while promoting environmental sustainability.