eprintid: 1332297 rev_number: 48 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/01/33/22/97 datestamp: 2011-11-30 15:23:17 lastmod: 2021-09-19 23:44:29 status_changed: 2014-03-19 11:43:49 type: article metadata_visibility: show item_issues_count: 0 creators_name: Adler, I creators_name: Campos, LC creators_name: Hudson-Edwards, KA title: Converting rain into drinking water: Quality issues and technological advances ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: B04 divisions: C05 divisions: F44 divisions: C06 note: © IWA Publishing 2011. The definitive peer-reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Water Science & Technology: Water Supply Vol 11 No 6 pp 659–667 (2011) (doi:10.2166/ws.2011.117) and is available at www.iwapublishing.com. abstract: With growing pressures on water supplies worldwide, rainwater harvesting is increasingly seen as a viable option to provide drinking water to an ever expanding population, particularly in developing countries. However, rooftop runoff is not without quality issues. Microbiological and chemical contamination have been detected in several studies, well above local and international guidelines, posing a health risk for consumers. Our research explores the use of silver ions, combined with conventional filtration and settling mechanisms, as a safe and affordable model for purification that can be applied on a small scale. The complete systems were installed and tested in rural communities in a Mexican semi-arid region. Efficiencies up to 99.9% were achieved in the removal of indicator microorganisms, with a marked exception where cross-contamination from external seepage occurs. Sites without overhanging branches or with relatively clean surfaces show an absence of total coliforms in the untreated runoff, compared with others where values as high as 1,650 CFU/100 ml were recorded. Thus, given adequate maintenance, the system can successfully deliver high quality drinking water, even when storage is required for long periods of time. © IWA Publishing 2011. date: 2011 official_url: http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/ws.2011.117 vfaculties: VENG vfaculties: VMPS oa_status: green full_text_type: other language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_source: Scopus elements_id: 353341 doi: 10.2166/ws.2011.117 lyricists_name: Adler, Ilan lyricists_name: Campos, Luiza lyricists_name: Hudson-Edwards, Karen lyricists_id: IJADL48 lyricists_id: LCCAM91 lyricists_id: KAHUD91 full_text_status: public publication: Water Science and Technology: Water Supply volume: 11 number: 6 pagerange: 659 - 667 issn: 1606-9749 citation: Adler, I; Campos, LC; Hudson-Edwards, KA; (2011) Converting rain into drinking water: Quality issues and technological advances. Water Science and Technology: Water Supply , 11 (6) 659 - 667. 10.2166/ws.2011.117 <https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2011.117>. Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1332297/1/Adler_Watersupply2011_revision_TEMPLATE.pdf