Message-ID: <Pine.SCO.3.91.960926073801.12868B-100000@weeks> Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 15:33:50 -0700 From: Charles Judson <mailto:cfj@WEEKS4WATER.COM> Subject: Re: Potable drinking water To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
>We are seeking information fro a project in Nepal. At the Living River
>Health Serves, they are interested in using potassium permanganate to
>make dirty river water potable. It has been suggested that a 1:500,000
I have not heard of using permanganate for disinfection. We use it for oxidation of iron and manganese in water and there is a very thin line between adding just enough and adding too much, resulting in pink water.
A rule of thumb is that effective treatment of surface water should consist of removal (filtration) and inactivation (destruction by chemical or other means) of microorganisms. If the water is clear the removal step is often left out if the need is for transportable or temporary water treatment. But for reliable health protection both are recommended.
How much treated water do you require per day? If I had some idea of the scope I could send additional, and more specific, information. There are hybrid methods available which might suffice for certain needs.
Charles Judson (707)542-3272 Weeks Drilling & Pump Co. mailto:cfj@weeks4water.com P.O. Box 176 Sebastopol, CA 95473 USA