To Design Composite Clay Filter Using Clay Sand and Charcoal for Rural Areas

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water remains a significant challenge in rural areas where conventional purification systems such as reverse osmosis and UV sterilization are often unaffordable or impractical. This study evaluates the performance of a low-cost composite clay filter made from locally available clay, sand, and activated charcoal for rural water purification. Six filter mixtures (75% clay with 5–20% sand and 5–20% charcoal) were fabricated and tested for pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, chloride, and bacterial removal. The optimal composition (75% clay, 12% sand, 13% charcoal) achieved balanced performance, reducing turbidity from 450 NTU to 3.9 NTU, TDS from 413 mg/L to 390 mg/L, hardness 170 to 155 mg/L, chloride 122 to 108 mg/L, achieving complete bacterial removal (0 CFU/100 mL, representing 100% reduction).. The treated water met WHO and Pakistan Standards for Drinking Water Quality. These findings suggest composite clay filters are an effective, sustainable, and affordable solution for rural communities lacking access to advanced water treatment systems.