Distilled water not available in rural Honduras

[steve77]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Well even if the batteries are dead you still have power during the day

What are you running power for

That will determine battery needs

The two major requirements are powering laptops and LED lighting. The batteries are required because the laptops are used during the day and charged at night, and the LEDs obviously at night. The laptops are used in the classroom and the inverter and solar equipment is in a separate locked room for security.

Steve

[steve77]

Originally Posted by Boatwright

Rainwater with any bugs, etc. strained out will work fine. And don't underestimate the willingness of the locals to take care of your contribution to their lives. Have you enlisted the help of a local mechanic or truck driver that is part of the community? I have been amazed by the mechanical intelligence of so-called "backward" folks more than once.

Yes, as I said in an earlier post, there is a person assigned to maintain the system. I will be spending time with him while I’m there to talk about how the system is being maintained and what needs he has in the schools that will require an expansion of the system. He is paid by the organization that funds the schools and is very willing to make sure that the system keeps running.

Also, you are dead right that the locals are thrilled to have these schools available for their children. They have been very supportive of the schools to the best of their means.

Steve

[steve77]

Originally Posted by Tellie

How big are these battery banks. No offense, but if they can get and haul heavy AGM batteries, solar panels, and all that go into setting up a solar system up to the location, how hard is it to haul 10 or 15 gallons of distilled water to the site?

Trust me, it’s hard. These schools are at least 50 miles from the nearest paved road. The roads are primarily dirt, and it’s a difficult trip. Transportation is mainly by motorbike, although there is occasionally a school bus. When I installed the system, we brought everything in by pickup truck.

The village is really a very spread out group of houses amongst the hills. There are no stores or any commercial buildings. One person has a room in the front of their house where they sell a few staples. Most live by sustenance farming.

The reason for this post is that I wasn’t sure what to use in place of distilled water in these remote locations. Got some great answers, so thanks to all!

Steve

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by steve77

The two major requirements are powering laptops and LED lighting. The batteries are required because the laptops are used during the day and charged at night, and the LEDs obviously at night. The laptops are used in the classroom and the inverter and solar equipment is in a separate locked room for security.



Steve

You can charge laptops while in use and even at night can charge cell phones from laptops
You can also use led lights that run from usb power

There’s a lot of different ways to approach the problem if you don’t have batteries available to centralize power storage

Just thinking about what you can do if when your primary batteries fail

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by steve77

First, this is not for a boat. We have Lifeline AGMs aboard, but are now working on a solar power project for schools in the mountains of Honduras. This is no joke the boonies - they may never get utility power up to these mountain communities.

Steve

Filtration is only part of the problem; distilled also removes dissolved materials, not just solids.

Do you have a/c there?

The water coming out of the condensing coils is essentially distilled.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by steve77

First, this is not for a boat. We have Lifeline AGMs aboard, but are now working on a solar power project for schools in the mountains of Honduras. This is no joke the boonies - they may never get utility power up to these mountain communities.

We have flooded cells for energy storage, but distilled water is simply not available in these communities. My thought was to use either spring water or rain water. Either one would be filtered through a screen to remove large particulates. I thought of having them use a cloth, but think they may wind up using whatever rag they can find, and this may introduce more impurities than it removes.

There is no source of what one could call “tap water”. I can either have them use spring water or rain water.

Any thoughts on which would be better? Also, I would be interested in suggestions on how to filter the water. Thanks!

Steve

Collect rain water. It is the lowest TDS you can find. Use plastic tarps, not cistern or roof top gutters.

You can use tarps arranged like a tent so condensate runs off the inside into a collecting trough.

[billcrowley]

A solar-powered still is not difficult to fabricate from commonly available supplies. Robert Redford did so in his film “All Is Lost”; look for an example there….

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Stewie12

If bottled water is available that would be my choice after filtered rainwater. Or let the first of the rainwater run away to take all the dirt and dust with it, then keep it in plastic can or bottles.

NOT bottled water, unless it is bottled distilled water. Most bottled water is reasonably hard, because moderately hard water tastes better.

[Juggerknot]

Originally Posted by steve77

First, this is not for a boat. We have Lifeline AGMs aboard, but are now working on a solar power project for schools in the mountains of Honduras. This is no joke the boonies - they may never get utility power up to these mountain communities.

We have flooded cells for energy storage, but distilled water is simply not available in these communities. My thought was to use either spring water or rain water. Either one would be filtered through a screen to remove large particulates. I thought of having them use a cloth, but think they may wind up using whatever rag they can find, and this may introduce more impurities than it removes.

There is no source of what one could call “tap water”. I can either have them use spring water or rain water.

Any thoughts on which would be better? Also, I would be interested in suggestions on how to filter the water. Thanks!

Steve

Teach the locals to condense steam, it is simple as dirt and is as pure as you'll get.

[Juggerknot]

Originally Posted by steve77

Good morning, Don. The schools are all in Olancho, in the mountains south of Juticalpa towards Nicaragua. These are funded by the Catholic Church and supported by the parents of the students. Each school has around 50 students. There is a person assigned to maintain the solar installations although I have not met him.

I looked up your sisters business and it looks like she is in San Pedro Sula. Unfortunately, that’s a long way from where this installation is. I’d sure like to hear her thoughts on how they keep batteries topped off up in the mountains.

Cheers!

Steve

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAD

[Juggerknot]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Oh yeah, forgot, about filtering; if it is needed, the cloth that is pretty commonly used in Honduras for filtering coffee would be fine I think. I can't think of the name of it now, but I am sure the folks there know what I am referring to. Of course if you can catch the rain away from the trees there shouldn't be anything to filter.

chorreador is the cotton coffee sack filter you are thinking about. Honduras is doing fine, I'm 80 clicks south of the border and get up there frequently...love baleadas =) very simple solar water stills can be fashioned out of basic materials and have no moving parts... buenas suerte

[Franziska]

I think this YouTube video might help with a simple way of cleaning water at large scale:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kazEAzGWuIc

Good luck!

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by HeywoodJ

Distillation is not hard (for the quantities needed for batteries). Are there any pressure cookers in the village? Just one is enough, with a short length of clean metal tubing from the steam vent you can distill water with commonly available equipment (and still use it for cooking the rest of the time). Use a loose fit of the tubing over the vent so that if the tubing gets blocked there is no pressure build up in the pot.

^This.

Spring water is likely high in minerals which is exactly what you don't want.

Rain water can do in an pinch but if they can't afford new batteries, you want to make them last as long as possible.

Just make sure to find a leader or two and impress on them the importance and give them step by step instructions.

Of course unless it's a huge battery bank, 1 gallon might last 6 months so hauling it in might not be out of the question.

[zeehag]

what do the people drink..if they drink purified water, use that in your batteries..i used purified water here in mexico with no issue and batteries lasted me 7 yrs.

[Stewie12]

I very much doubt if there will be purified water available. These people have next to nothing.