Researchers at the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute are making a difference not only in West Michigan, but across the globe. Professor of Water Resources Rick Rediske, with the help of a Grand Valley geology professor and anthropology professor, is conducting a project to improve the quality of drinking water in Haiti.       

The project, titled the Safe and Sustainable Water for Haiti Project encompasses expertise from many different academic disciplines at Grand Valley. Rediske’s part in the project entails developing biosand filters and testing the water quality under varying conditions.

Rediske is working on developing biosand filters to improve drinking water in Haiti.

“The biosand filters that we’re working on right now are about four feet tall and they contain sand,” he said. “What’s unique is that water runs through the filter slowly so that a biological layer can remove bacteria.” Graduate student Nicole Horne, who works closely with Rediske, describes it as “the good bacteria eating the bad bacteria.”

Drinking and using unfiltered water can lead to serious health problems including diarrheal diseases, skin lesions, and cancer. When Hatians are trained to properly use these biosand filters, health problems are expected to significantly decrease.

AWRI is working with Triplequest, a partnership between Cascade Engineering, Amway, and Dow Chemical, to create these filters that are designed to remove toxins, arsenic, and E. coli from drinking water.

According to Rediske, the poor water quality in rural Haiti can be linked to both physical and cultural components, making this project a combination of natural and social science.

“We recently went to Haiti to test water samples and conduct surveys and focus groups with rural Hatians," Rediske said. “Now, with this information, I’m doing lab studies to test usage patterns. For example, some Haitians might leave the filter for a week without use. I want to see how this might affect its effectiveness.”

The new field station will benefit not only Rediske and the Safe and Sustainable Water for Haiti Project, but will advance the institute as a whole.

“Right now we have to move these really heavy filters up and down the stairs to transport them,” he said. “With the new field station, we will be able to keep all the biosand filter equipment in a central location. It will also provide some much needed space for grad students to do their work.”

Rediske and other researchers at AWRI use the Colilert System for the biochemical determination of E. coli bacteria in water samples. The system is used to help Muskegon County Public Health Department monitor Great Lakes and inland lake beaches and also is a part of AWRI’s international research efforts in Haiti. The blue wells that glow under UV light indicate the presence of E. coli bacteria.

The Liquid Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer System is used to measure algal toxins in Muskegon County Lakes.