Sandec

Manuals & Training Guidelines

Gravity Driven Membrane Filtration. A User guide and video training series.

This guide describes gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration, a technology to provide safe and affordable drinking water in rural areas at community scale. It explains how the GDM technology works, how a GDM system can be implemented and maintained, and which elements contribute to a sustainable operation.

The training materials are accessible here.

SODIS Manual. Guidance on solar water disinfection.

The SODIS manual presents an overview of the SODIS method based on 20 years of research and practice. The first part introduces solar disinfection, provides information about the history of the SODIS method and highlights its benefits. The second part addresses the technical aspects that influence the efficacy of the SODIS method in removing pathogens from water. This information aims at providing a solid understanding of the correct application of SODIS in the field. The third part reviews specific approaches and tools used to promote the SODIS method to target populations.

The publication is available here.

 

Safe Water School. A training manual.

The Safe Water School Manual contains teaching materials to provide school lessons on drinking water treatment, hygiene and sanitation. It combines school lessons with scientific experiments, games and art activities. The lessons are based on the life-skills approach, and are inspired by the participatory teaching and learning methods PHAST and CHAST. These methods were selected be-cause they have been shown to be helpful in empowering school children to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices at school and at home.

Safe Water School Manual (englisch)
Safe Water School Manual (french)
Teaching Materials for the Safe Water School

Publications

Household water treatment, Safe Storage, Reduction of Recontamination Risks

Gärtner, N.; Germann, L.; Wanyama, K.; Ouma, H.; Meierhofer, R. (2021) Keeping water from kiosks clean: strategies for reducing recontamination during transport and storage in Eastern Uganda, Water Research X, 10, 100079 (8 pp.), doi:10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100079, Institutional Repository
Dössegger, L.; Tournefier, A.; Germann, L.; Gärtner, N.; Huonder, T.; Etenu, C.; Wanyama, K.; Ouma, H.; Meierhofer, R. (2021) Assessment of low-cost, non-electrically powered chlorination devices for gravity-driven membrane water kiosks in eastern Uganda, Waterlines, 40(2), 92-106, doi:10.3362/1756-3488.20-00014, Institutional Repository
Daniel, D.; Diener, A.; Pande, S.; Jansen, S.; Marks, S.; Meierhofer, R.; Bhatta, M.; Rietveld, L. (2019) Understanding the effect of socio-economic characteristics and psychosocial factors on household water treatment practices in rural Nepal using Bayesian belief networks, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 222(5), 847-855, doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.04.005, Institutional Repository
Meierhofer, R.; Rubli, P.; Oremo, J.; Odhiambo, A. (2019) Does activated silver reduce recontamination risks in the reservoirs of ceramic water filters?, Water, 11(5), 1108 (11 pp.), doi:10.3390/w11051108, Institutional Repository
Meierhofer, R.; Wietlisbach, B.; Matiko, C. (2019) Influence of container cleanliness, container disinfection with chlorine, and container handling on recontamination of water collected from a water kiosk in a Kenyan slum, Journal of Water and Health, 17(2), 308-317, doi:10.2166/wh.2019.282, Institutional Repository
Meierhofer, R.; Bänziger, C.; Deppeler, S.; Kunwar, B. M.; Bhatta, M. (2018) From water source to tap of ceramic filters - factors that influence water quality between collection and consumption in rural households in Nepal, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(11), 2439 (14 pp.), doi:10.3390/ijerph15112439, Institutional Repository
Meierhofer, R.; Rubli, P.; Dreyer, K.; Ouma, H.; Wanyama, K.; Peter-Varbanets, M. (2017) Membrane filtration reduces recontamination risk in chlorinated household water containers, In: WEDC conference 40, 2595 (7 pp.), Institutional Repository

Water, hygiene & child health

Meierhofer, R.; Kunwar, B. M.; Shrestha, A. (2023) Changes in water treatment, hygiene practices, household floors, and child health in times of Covid-19: a longitudinal cross-sectional survey in Surkhet District, Nepal, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 249, 114138 (14 pp.), doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114138, Institutional Repository
Shrestha, A.; Kunwar, B. M.; Meierhofer, R. (2022) Water, sanitation, hygiene practices, health and nutritional status among children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal evidence from remote areas of Dailekh and Achham districts in Nepal, BMC Public Health, 22, 2035 (27 pp.), doi:10.1186/s12889-022-14346-8, Institutional Repository
Shrestha, A.; Six, J.; Dahal, D.; Marks, S.; Meierhofer, R. (2020) Association of nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene practices with children's nutritional status, intestinal parasitic infections and diarrhoea in rural Nepal: a cross-sectional study, BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1241 (21 pp.), doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09302-3, Institutional Repository

Water carrying & women's health

Meierhofer, R.; Tomberge, V. M. J.; Inauen, J.; Shrestha, A. (2022) Water carrying in hills of Nepal-associations with women’s musculoskeletal disorders, uterine prolapse, and spontaneous abortions, PLoS One, 17(6), e0269926 (23 pp.), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0269926, Institutional Repository
Tomberge, V. M. J.; Shrestha, A.; Meierhofer, R.; Inauen, J. (2022) Understanding safe water-carrying practices during pregnancy and postpartum: a mixed-methods study in Nepal, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 14(2), 691-711, doi:10.1111/aphw.12325, Institutional Repository
Tomberge, V. M. J.; Bischof, J. S.; Meierhofer, R.; Shrestha, A.; Inauen, J. (2021) The physical burden of water carrying and women's psychosocial well-being: evidence from rural nepal, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 7908 (11 pp.), doi:10.3390/ijerph18157908, Institutional Repository

Gravity Driven Membrane Filtration

Dössegger, L.; Tournefier, A.; Germann, L.; Gärtner, N.; Huonder, T.; Etenu, C.; Wanyama, K.; Ouma, H.; Meierhofer, R. (2021) Assessment of low-cost, non-electrically powered chlorination devices for gravity-driven membrane water kiosks in eastern Uganda, Waterlines, 40(2), 92-106, doi:10.3362/1756-3488.20-00014, Institutional Repository
Peter, M.; Meierhofer, R. (2018) GDM-Wasserkioske. Sauberes Trinkwasser für die ländliche Bevölkerung Ugandas, Aqua & Gas, 98(5), 36-39, Institutional Repository
Meierhofer, R.; Rubli, P.; Dreyer, K.; Ouma, H.; Wanyama, K.; Peter-Varbanets, M. (2017) Membrane filtration reduces recontamination risk in chlorinated household water containers, In: WEDC conference 40, 2595 (7 pp.), Institutional Repository
Peter-Varbanets, M.; Dreyer, K.; McFadden, N.; Ouma, H.; Wanyama, K.; Etenu, C.; Meierhofer, R. (2017) Evaluating novel gravity-driven membrane (GDM) water kiosks in schools, In: WEDC conference 40, 2735 (7 pp.), Institutional Repository
Peter-Varbanets, M.; Johnston, R.; Meierhofer, R.; Kage, F.; Pronk, W. (2011) Gravity-driven membrane disinfection for household drinking water treatment, In: Shaw, R. (Eds.), The future of water, sanitation and hygiene in low-income countries - innovation, adaptation and engagement in a changing world. Proceedings of the 35th WEDC international conference, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK, 6-, 1086 (8 pp.), Institutional Repository

Marketing Models for Safe Water

Meierhofer, R.; Flückiger, A. C.; Gebauer, H. (2016) Do sales models influence the purchase and use of ceramic filters in rural areas of Kenya and Bolivia?, Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology. Aqua, 65(1), 87-102, doi:10.2166/aqua.2015.069, Institutional Repository
Bogler, A.; Meierhofer, R. (2015) The challenge of producing and marketing colloidal silver water filters in Nepal, Water, 7(7), 3599-3612, doi:10.3390/w7073599, Institutional Repository
Meierhofer, R.; Flückiger, C.; Gebauer, H. (2014) Evaluating of distribution models for household water treatment products in Kenya, In: WEDC conference 37, 1851 (6 pp.), Institutional Repository

Solar Water Disinfection

Assessing the societal benefits of applied research and expert consulting in water science and technology. GAIA, 21 (2), pp. 95-101. Hering, J.G., Hoffmann, S., Meierhofer, R., Schmid, M., Peter, A.J. (2012).

Promoting solar water disinfection in schools: Experiences and lessons learnt in Latin America. The Future of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Low-Income Countries: Innovation, Adaptation and Engagement in a Changing World - Proceedings of the 35th WEDC International Conference. Schulte, M., Sanchez, E., Saladin, M., Meierhofer, R. (2011).

Assessment of Long-Term Sustainability of Former Eawag HWTS Projects” Sandec News. Nr. 12.
Tamas A., Wehrle F., Wojtalla K., Meierhofer R. (2011).

Health gains from solar water disinfection (SODIS): evaluation of a water quality intervention in Yaounde Cameroon. Journal of Water and Health, 08 (4), pp. 779-796. Graf J., Zebaze S.T., Kemka N., Niyitegeka D., Meierhofer R., Pieboji J.G. (2010).

Factors supporing the sustained use of solar water disinfection - Experiences from a global promotion and dissemination programme. Desalination 248, pp. 144-151. Meierhofer R., Landolt G. (2009).

Comment on "Point of Use Household Drinking Water Filtration: A Practical, Effective Solution for Providing Sustained Access to Safe Drinking Water in the Developing World. Environ. Sci. Technol. 43 (3), pp. 968-969. Lantagne D., Meierhofer R., Allgood R., McGuigan K.G., Quick R. (2009).

User acceptance: The key to evaluating SODIS and other methods for household water treatment and safe storage. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: Sustainable Development and Multisectoral Approaches - Proceedings of the 34th WEDC International Conference, 5 p. Luzi, S., Gurung, P., Meierhofer, R., Wegelin, M. (2009).

Does the reuse of PET bottles during solar disinfection pose a health risk due to the migration of plasticisers and other chemicals into the water. Water Research 42:5054 – 5060. Schmid P., Kohler M., Meierhofer R., Luzi S., Wegelin M. (2008).

Water disinfection and hygiene behaviour in an urban slum in Kenya: impact on childhood diarrhoea and influence of beliefs. International Journal of Environmental Health Research Vol. 18, No. 5: 335–355. Graf J., Meierhofer R., Wegelin M., Mosler H.-J. (2008).

Training Manual for SODIS Promotion. Eawag/Sandec Nr. 13/06 Meierhofer, R. (2006).

Solar Water Disinfection. A Guide for the application of SODIS. Eawag/Sandec Nr. 06/02, Dübendorf, October 2002, ISBN Nr. 3-906484-24-6. Meierhofer, R., et al. (2002).