| dc.description.abstract | The present study investigated the levels of iron, manganese, and E. coli in the boreholes and shallow wells waters of the Oruchinga valley refugee camp. A multi-stage filter technology was designed for the removal of total iron, manganese, and E. coli from the water. The removal mechanism is established by surface straining on the sand, absorption and adsorption by charcoal. Samples from ten boreholes and one open well were analyzed in situ for six physicochemical parameters (Temperature, pH, DO, TDS, turbidity, and electrical Conductivity EC) were measured using Horiba Probe; total iron and total manganese concentrations were measured using a Hach machine DR/890 spectrophotometer, by Ferro ver and Per iodate oxidation spectrophotometer methods; while total E. coli count were determined using membrane filtration method. In situ measurements of the parameters give a temperature range of 23.440 ± 0.260 oC to 22.213 ± 0.081oC , pH of 8.780 ± 0.096 to 5.567 ± 0.025, electrical Conductivity of 1.983 ± 0.035 mS/cm to 0.479 ± 0.006 mS/cm, TDS of 1.363 ± 0.012 g/L to 0.308 ± 0.015 g/L, turbidity of 28.167 ±3.320 NTU to 0.110 ± 0.014 NTU, DO of 15.073 ± 0.933 mg/L to 3.647 ± 0.015 mg/L, total iron of 21.073 ± 0.012 mg/l Fe to 0.030 ± 0.010 mg/l Fe and total Mn of 11.300 ± 0.014 mg/L Mn to 0.100 ± 0.010 mg/l Mn. Statistical data analysis using the SPSS tool was done for physiochemical parameters, conc. of total iron and total manganese. E. coli were not found except for Oruchinga Lake where the values were 13 CFU/100ml in 2014 and 14 CFU/100ml in 2015. The multi-stage water purification technology developed was tested in the laboratory using the synthetic solution of 21.07 mg/L Fe and 11.56 mg/L Mn the highest concentrations determined in the study area between 2014 - 2015. There was a reduction in the concentrations of total Fe and Mn in the effluent by 98.15% and 97.43% respectively. The technology developed was tested in situ with water samples from Rurongo “A” borehole (RAB) which had concentrations of total iron 17.085 ± 0.007 mg/L Fe and manganese 5.061±0.001mg/l Mn by then. 30.0 liters of the natural water was filtered through the column at a flow rate of 70ml per minute before the concentration of total Fe in the filtrate reached 0.3 mg/L Fe WHO permissible limit for portable water while manganese reached the WHO limit of 0.1 mg/L at 16.0 liters of the water filtered through the column. Poor water quality at the Oruchinga Settlement camp was found to be caused by high total concentrations of iron (II) and manganese (II) ions. The water quality can be improved at house levels by using affordable locally designed filters. | en_US |
