Biosand Water Filter Experiment

Biosand Water Filter in Haiti

Professor Rick Rediske & GVSU Students in Ghana

Water Issues in Developing Countries

Access to clean water is a critical need in developing countries and we have moved from laboratory based studies on biosand filtration (bsf), to field assessments and in-situ intervention programs in developing countries.  The Rediske lab is working in collaboration with Peter Wampler in Geology, Joe Verschaeve in Sociology, and Azizur Molla in Public Health on a transdisciplinary research approach for water quality studies in the developing countries of Haiti and Ghana. Rick Rediske and Peter Wampler are currently teaching a course in the GVSU Honors College on World Water Issues. The course is designed to train students on biosand filter construction, water quality testing, and the importance of understanding the cultural factors that influence the development of water quality interventions in developing countries. Our goal is to have trained students assist in the collection of water quality data on Study Abroad trips to Ghana and Haiti, in addition to providing support for small intervention efforts. Joe has been working with a group of individuals in Ghana, and as facilitated the formation of an NGO called International Sustainability Health Education and Water (ISHEW).  We have several students that are in the World Water Issues class that are interested in working on a biosand filter project with ISHEW during the 2015 Ghana Study Abroad trip.  We continue to present our research at conferences, such as the 2014 Conference of the American Public Health Association and Geological Society of America, in addition to expanding our network of contacts in America and abroad.   

Projects:

Long-term Field Performance of the Biosand Water Filter in the Artibonite Valley, Haiti
Using ArcMap, Google Earth, and Global Positioning Systems to select and locate random households in rural Haiti
An assessment of long-term biosand filter use and sustainability in the Artibonite Valley near Deschapelles, Haiti
Safe and Sustainable Water for Haiti