Innovative Ceramic Filtration System for Drinking Water in Underserved Areas Using Locally Available Resources

Abstract

One of the primary obstacles remains the provision of clean, safe drinking water in remote and developing areas, where existing filtration methods are often not feasible or accessible. This study adapts a design of a portable ceramic water filtration system using locally available Caniangan clay (95%) and RHA (5%). The best formulation produced a functional ceramic water filter (CWF) with 33.47% water absorption and a flow rate of approximately 0.45 L in 30 minutes (0.9 L/h). When tested with tap water, the system reduced total dissolved solids from 1543.8 mg/L (influent) to 67.1 mg/L (effluent), achieving 95.6% removal while maintaining approximately constant pH within the acceptable drinking water range of 6.5–9.5. Expert assessments yielded a mean acceptability rating of 2.53 ("Very Acceptable"), indicating practical suitability for developing communities. Compared with previously reported ceramic water filters, the present system exhibits comparable water absorption and flow rate despite being fabricated under uncontrolled, traditional firing conditions. While the achieved flow rate lies toward the lower end of reported ranges, it remains suitable for point-of-use applications in community settings. The absence of microbiological testing distinguishes this study from others and is explicitly acknowledged as a limitation rather than a performance claim.