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The Portable Aqua Unit for Lifesaving (abbrev. PAUL), also known as WaterBackpack, is a portable membrane water filtering unit developed at the University of Kassel for humanitarian aid. It allows a decentralised clean water supply in cases of disasters and emergency situations.

Technics

Requirements

The operation of the filter solely requires water, for example from wells, rivers or streams. Neither chemicals nor energy nor trained personnel are necessary. The complete usage is described in four pictograms to enable even illiterates to operate the device. This was proven by a test carried out with different Indian population groups.

Operation

The core piece of the device is a membrane filter unit. After being deployed at its destination, the device is filled with about 100 litres of water from surface waters. After one or two minutes, filtered water can be tapped from the permeate hose. During the filtering process, the device has to be refilled periodically. ^[1]

Functionality and capacity

The water pressure given by the building height of 1.15 metres forces the water through the membrane filter with pore widths of 20 to 100 nm. Turbidity-causing suspended solids are removed completely, bacteria with an effectiveness of more than 99.999 % (test by Institut Fresenius, E. coli und Coliforms) and viruses with an effectiveness of more than 99.9 % (Test by the University of Bonn, Coliphages).

In opposite to reverse osmosis systems, a system basing on Ultrafiltration is not able to remove dissolved substances (like salts) or liquids (like mineral oils) due to its principle. Those substances are able to pass the membrane.

A single device is capable of supplying about 400 people with the necessary (according to Sphere-Standards^[2]) water to survive (food and drinking), its daily load being about 1.200 litres of water.

Usage and distribution

The water filter is used in emergency and disaster situations. As a backpack, it can be brought to his destination by foot if necessary. The first application was in March 2010. Since September 2010, the distribution increased considerably. Therefore, in April 2012, about 700 Units were in use in over 30 countries.^[3]

Since the durability of the membrane is ten years, most help organizations leave the device in place after emergencies. A periodical maintenance every few months is recommended or needed, depending on the impurity of the raw water. To do this, the device is filled with water completely and then emptied via the tap on its bottom.^[4]

PAUL is used by many organisations for humanitarian aid and also by the German Federal Foreign Office^[5].

Development

The WaterBackpack was developed at the department of sanitary and enviromental engineering (part of the faculty construction engineering) of the University of Kassel. The development was facilitated by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (German Environment Foundation)^[6]. The current optimization project continues until the middle of 2013 as a research project.

Awards

The project “PAUL – Trinkbares Wasser bei Katastrophen” (“PAUL - Potable water in cases of disasters”) participated in the competition “365 Orte im Land der Ideen” (“365 Places in the country of ideas”) in 2011 and was awarded federal winner in the category Society.^[7]

Bibliography

About PAUL in operation:

HDL – Hundertmal Hilfe für sauberes Wasser auf Haiti – Hundert PAULs erfolgreich im Einsatz (Hundred times help for clean water in Haiti - one hundred PAULs in successful operation) (German, 10 January 2012), retrieved 15 June 2012
Global Care – PAUL-Wasserrucksack auf dem Weg nach Haiti: Global-Care startet Hilfsaktion (PAUL-Waterbackpack on the way to Haiti: Global-Care starts aid)(German) in: Global Care, retrieved 15 June 2012
Humanity Care Foundation, Robert Hoßfeld: PAUL der Lebensretter (PAUL the Lifesaver)(German), January 2011, in: Humanity Care Foundation/Rotary-Magazine 01/2011
Report: Nighat Aziz: PAUL – Systeme (PAUL - systems)(German, 2011), in: Humanity Care Foundation, retrieved 15 June 2012

External links

References

^ FAQ about PAUL, in: DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012
^ The Sphere Project: The Sphere Handbook 2011, p.98
^ Flyer with current information, in: DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012
^ "PAUL introduces himself" - Details about the usage, in: DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012
^ Flooding in Southeast Asia (German, 28 October 2011), in: Auswärtiges Amt, retrieved 26 April 2012
^ (End of Page) Potable Water for small communities in cases of emergencies and natural disasters: the "WaterBackpack", in DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012
^ Competition “365 Orte im Land der Ideen”: Federal and public winners of 2011 (German, 25 November 2011), in: Deutschland – Land der Ideen, retrieved 23 April 2012

[1] FAQ about PAUL, in: DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012

[2] The Sphere Project: The Sphere Handbook 2011, p.98

[3] Flyer with current information, in: DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012

[4] "PAUL introduces himself" - Details about the usage, in: DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012

[5] Flooding in Southeast Asia (German, 28 October 2011), in: Auswärtiges Amt, retrieved 26 April 2012

[6] (End of Page) Potable Water for small communities in cases of emergencies and natural disasters: the "WaterBackpack", in DESEE Kassel, retrieved 25 June 2012

[7] Competition “365 Orte im Land der Ideen”: Federal and public winners of 2011 (German, 25 November 2011), in: Deutschland – Land der Ideen, retrieved 23 April 2012

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