Drinking water quality assessment and corrosion mitigation in the hospital water supply system of Chacas Village (Peru)

  • Riccardo Bigoni CeTAmb, Research Centre on Appropriate Technologies for Environmental Management in Developing Countries
  • Sabrina Sorlini University of Brescia
  • Maria Cristina Collivignarelli Faculty of Engineering, University of Pavia
  • Paolo Berbenni Politecnico of Milano
Keywords: Langelier saturation index (LSI), Ryznar stability index (RSI), dolomia filter

Abstract

Rural hospitals in developing countries often lack appropriate water treatments to assure their water needs. In these facilities, due to water different uses and its use with medical equipment, water quality problems can cause very hazardous situations. In particular, corrosion of water distribution systems is a common issue that can cause unwanted changes in water quality and failures of the distribution system’s pipes. These considerations suggest that a complete monitoring program and water treatments to control and guarantee the water quality would be required in each health-care facility. This study assessed the quality of the water at the rural hospital of Chacas (Peru) as measured via specific physical-chemical and microbiological parameters. The results show that the chemical and microbiological qualities of the water generally worsen from catchment to the hospital’s taps. Moreover, this work investigated the effects of a dolomite limestone filter installed to adjust the quality of the water distributed at the hospital and thereby mitigate the water’s corrosiveness. Corrosion indices were calculated to provide useful information on the water’s corrosiveness and positive results were obtained in reducing corrosiveness after the installation of the dolomite filter.

Author Biographies

Riccardo Bigoni, CeTAmb, Research Centre on Appropriate Technologies for Environmental Management in Developing Countries
CeTAmb, Research Centre on Appropriate Technologies for Environmental Management in Developing Countries, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Sabrina Sorlini, University of Brescia
Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture, Land and Environment
Maria Cristina Collivignarelli, Faculty of Engineering, University of Pavia
Faculty of Engineering, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Paolo Berbenni, Politecnico of Milano
Politecnico of Milano, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 25133 Milano, Italy
Published
29/08/2014
Section
Papers