Evaluation of the Efficiency of Clay Pots in Removal of Water Impurities

Recently, inexpensive technologies for drinking water supply in small communities are highly considered in developing countries. One of these technologies is the application of ceramic filters that are usually made of diatomaceous earth or clay soil. This research was carried out to determine the efficiency of clay pots (as a filter) in removing water impurities. Pilot and the related clay parts were manufactured and its efficiency in removing TDS, hardness, NO3-, color and turbidity was measured by passing water through the clay pipes. The results showed that the clay filters had not the potential to remove hardness, EC, TDS and nitrate of water. However, they showed excellent efficiency in turbidity removal (≥ 90%) and could significantly decrease the color of the water (≥ 60%).