Solar Bag: A Water Disinfection Alternative for Rural and Remote Communities of the Peruvian Amazon Open Access
Boynton, Karin (Summer 2018)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The remote communities of Perú represent portions of the population
that are traditionally underserved in the water sector. While the Government of Perú
recognizes its responsibility in the continued improvement of water services for rural
populations, it has requested assistance in evaluating feasible alternatives to traditional
water treatment modalities. In 2016, CARE Perú implemented an innovative solar
disinfection technology in Bellavista, a rural and remote village in the Peruvian Amazon.
The Solar Bag technology is composed of a water bladder with a titanium dioxide-coated
mesh insert. The Solar Bag uses solar energy to activate a photochemical process that
produces purified water appropriate for human consumption.
METHODS: This thesis was part of an existing CARE project, “Mi Bolsa Solar,” and
used in-depth interviews and observations of eight female, head-of-household
participants to identify gaps between knowledge and practice of the Solar Bag
disinfection process and level of social appropriation of the Solar Bag technology. The
CARE Peru Key Performance Indicators (KPI) served as the basis for the design of the
qualitative study tools.
RESULTS: Themes extracted from the interviews included satisfaction with the Solar
Bag product, health improvements, quality of the water from the Solar Bag, and the
supply of Solar Bags and accompanying materials. Analysis revealed that a health
promoter’s unwillingness to supply materials can be a barrier to the use of the Solar Bag.
Analysis also showed that in the disinfection process, applying the alum, performing the
sedimentation, emptying the bags, disinfecting the storage container and/or storing
improperly can affect the quality of the water produced by the Solar Bag, thereby
impacting participant satisfaction. Lastly, according to CARE’s monitoring and
evaluation plan, the project had two positive outcomes related to social appropriation:
high use of the Solar Bag on the day of visit and a high level of participant satisfaction.
However, a third variable showed that participants did not appropriate the technology
because it was not available in the rural market.
DISCUSSION: In conclusion, CARE Perú may need to consider providing more
workshops that target quality control. Furthermore, potential changes in the design of the
Solar Bag can help improve the user experience.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Introduction 1
Background on the project 1
The Solar Bag technology 2
Purpose and Significance 5
Chapter Two: Literature Review 7
Background 7
Alternatives for household-level water purification 11
SODIS 16
Contexts in which SODIS is used 23
The gap between literature, knowledge, and research 31
Chapter 3: Methodology 32
Study setting and population 32
The Solar Bag technology 35
Recruitment and sampling 36
Study design and procedures 38
Study instruments 39
Data management and analysis 47
Ethics 48
Chapter 4: Results and analysis 49
Description of participants 49
Knowledge of the solar bag purification process versus the practice
of the practice of that process 50
Solar Appropriation 54
Incorporation into daily life 62
Intentions for future behavior 67
Areas for improvement in the project 68
Chapter 5: Discussion 70
Social Appropriation 74
Limitations 76
Chapter 6: Recommendations 78
Recommendations 78
Conclusion 79
Appendix A 81
Appendix B 84
References 85
About this Master's Thesis
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