1000 arsenic household filters
In Bangladesh, groundwater is used as drinking water without further treatment. However, untreated groundwater can contain problematic contaminants. Arsenic is an extremely toxic substance that occurs naturally in groundwater. Microbial contamination also poses a major problem, particularly when water is stored in unhygienic conditions or when surface water is used as a source of drinking water. Water treatment solutions at the household level are often unaffordable for most people. Furthermore, contaminated filter media generate toxic waste for which there are no suitable disposal systems. For this reason, filters are not considered a sustainable solution.
The SWAPNO project aimed to establish a cost-effective, easy-to-use, and sustainable water treatment system for removing multiple water contaminants at the household level. A holistic approach is taken to not only improve drinking water but also the general hygiene conditions. To this end, the project aims to provide easy access to clean drinking and domestic water within the home. In a second step, the impact of these solutions on health outcomes (e.g. diarrhoeal diseases) was investigated. Environmental aspects, such as the reusability of consumables (e.g. adsorbent media), are also being examined. This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the effectiveness, acceptance, and uptake of handwashing and filtration systems for use in households in regions of South Asia with poor infrastructure, thereby bringing about a lasting improvement in the health of the people living there.
A filtration system provided to the households involved in the project.
Following the successful completion of the project, funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) was secured through the Schmitz Foundations’ Small Projects Fund, with the aim of increasing the number of filters from 400 to a total of 1,400.
A key part of the application was – in line with our motto ‘helping people to help themselves’ – to purchase further filters with voluntary contributions from the users. As things stand (May 2026), 2,000 filters are in stock and are serviced and disinfected every three months by staff at AGAPE Bangladesh.
