Safi Water Filters

Product Description

Safi Water Filters are tabletop ceramic filters that come in two size ranges, the T9 Family Water Filter with a capacity of 18 liters suitable for a family and the T20 Group Water Filter with a capacity of 40 liters ideal for large families, clinics, offices, etc. These filters treat and store the water safely until consumption. This product has been discontinued as of 2020.

Target Countries

Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe

Target SDGs

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Safi Water Treatment Solutions

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Kohler Clarity Water Filter, Rainfresh MP4U Gravity Filter, and Tulip Table Top Filter.

Manufacturing/Building Method

The product is locally manufactured in bulk in Malawi by Safi Water Treatment Solutions. The water filter consists of an imported ceramic element and tap, installation hardware, two locally produced plastic containers and a locally produced filter cleaning brush.

Intellectural Property Type

Registered brand

User Provision Model

Users can obtain the product by contacting Safi Water Treatment Solutions.

Distributions to Date Status

Unknown

Type of filter

Ceramic candle filter

Primary material of construction

Ceramic filter element contains colloidal silver and activated carbon

Additives

Heavy elements and chemical compounds

Manufacturer-specified flow rate (L/hr)

1.2-2.5 L/hr

Bacteria reduction

2 log

Virus reduction

Unknown

Protozoa reduction

Unknown

Heavy metals and/or arsenic reduction

Unknown

Maximum recommended influent turbidity level (NTU)

Less than 30

Effluent turbidity levels (NTU)

Unknown

Maintenance schedule

Every year

Manufacturer-specified lifetime volume (L)

T9 model: 7000 L

Safe water storage integration

T9 model: 9 L; T20 model: 20 L

Design Specifications

The filter consists of two chambers, one for pouring feed water and another for collecting filtered water. The T9 model has the capacity to hold 9 L of safe drinking water where as T2o has 20 L of safe drinking storage capacity. For the filtration, water is poured into the upper container and allowed to rest 3-5 hours as the flow rate is 1.5- 2.5 L per hour. The water then passes through the uniform pore sized ceramic candle and is collected in bottom shelve of water container.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

None available, this product is discontinued.

Replacement Components

Replaceable components include the ceramic candle filter.

Lifecycle

1 year

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

This filter was designed to reduce bacteria by 99% and store the filtered water in a sealed container.

Vetted Performance Status

Testing performed by the National Microbiology Reference determined a safe reduction in coliform contamination and did not show regrowth of bacterial colony in safe storage water.

Safety

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary Technical Systems

None

Academic Research and References

Fewtrell, L et al., 2017, A re-assessment of the safety of silver in household water treatment: rapid systematic review of mammalian in vivo genotoxicity studies, Environmental Health, 16(1), p.66.

Chaudhuri, M et al., 1994, Performance evaluation of ceramic filter candles, Journal of Environmental Engineering, 120(6), pp.1646-1651.

Oyanedel et al., 2008, Sustainable colloidal-silver-impregnated ceramic filter for point-of-use water treatment, Environmental science & technology, 42(3), pp.927-933.

Butkus, M.A et al., 2003, The efficacy of silver as a bactericidal agent: advantages, limitations and considerations for future use, Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology—AQUA, 52(6), pp.407-416.

Compliance with regulations

The product is certified by the Ministry of Health, Malawi, and complies with the Malawi Bureau of Standards for drinking water.

Evaluation methods

The product is evaluated for removal of turbidity and bacteria in a certified laboratory, the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory. The product is also tested as a Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) solution.