Affordable water purification system for reservoirs in Kazakhstan

Scientists at Satbayev University have developed an affordable water purification system that enables to turn almost any body of water in Kazakhstan into a source and thus prevent water scarcity, which can become a global problem.

The team of Yerzhan Kuldeev, Vice-Rector for Science and Corporate Development, studied the well-known but forgotten technology of obtaining drinking water by slow filtration and adapted it to the conditions of Kazakhstan. Thanks to this, it is now possible to build highly efficient water treatment plants wherever there are natural reservoirs.

Project’s main goal is to solve the problems of remote Kazakh villages where people have been living without clean drinking water for decades. The slow-acting filter was taken as the basis - this is the first type of filters that John Simpson began to use in the practice of water treatment in 1829, who built sand filters for the London water pipeline. This type of filter has a unique ability to remove not only turbidity and chromaticity from water, but also specific organic, inorganic pollutants and bacteria. Concurrently, no chemical reagents are used.

As part of the project, a pilot plant was created to enhance slow filtration technology efficiency. Optimal conditions for activating the natural zeolite for the production of modified zeolite have been determined, and aluminum poly-oxychlorides have also been synthesized. The work was highly appreciated by National Scientific Council and was awarded the highest score.

Project results:

• Full-fledged study of the quality of surface and drinking waters of Almaty, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Maysk district of Pavlodar region and the Aksu River, Zhetysu region was conducted.
• New results of an improved water intake and treatment facility have been obtained, which allows simultaneous water sampling and pre-treatment of water using a vacuum hydro-cyclone and a mesh filter.
• New innovative technology for treating the tap precipitation has been created, considering the natural and climatic conditions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.