9th graders 'turn' air conditioner waste into drinking water

The group's plastic pipe making system in Saigon can turn wastewater from air conditioning, rain water, into drinking water.

Nearly a month of ideas, tinkering with the design and installation, the work of the group of 9th grade students at Le Quy Don Secondary School (District 3, HCMC) has been completed. From air conditioning, rainwater, being placed in the middle of the school yard for people to visit.

Ministry of wastewater treatment from air conditioning and rain water into drinking water of students of grade 9, Le Quy Don secondary school.(Photo: Manh Tung).

The group leader Ly Ngoc Minh Khoa and his family members Gia Tue and Phi Long completed the product with the guidance of teachers of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Industry and Fine Arts.

"We choose this topic because of global warming and the ongoing scarcity of clean water, while rural rainwater and air conditioning from buildings are being wasted" , Khoa said.

The group of students came up with the idea of ​​using this water for their daily needs. Contacting the flooding situation in Ho Chi Minh City, the trio found that, if each building has a reservoir of cold water and rainwater to convert into domestic water, this situation can be reduced.

"Air conditioning water and rainwater are both condensed from the air, can be considered clean water. However, they have some impurities due to air pollution, so they need to be treated to be used as drinking water." Khoa explained.

Solar batteries are used to run water pumps on the filtration system.(Photo: Manh Tung).

Taking advantage of after school hours, Khoa and his friends went to the laboratory of the group meeting, designed a diagram of a small waste water treatment system suitable for a town house. They took samples from air-conditioner and rain water, tested them according to drinking water standards and calculated the appropriate treatment materials.

Structure of the water filter system is quite simple, including a set of solar batteries to run a small pump. The pump will draw water from the tank to the filter system.

The filter system consists of 3 pairs of tanks made of plastic water pipes, each consisting of a filter tank and a tank. Rain water and air conditioner from the tank go through the filtration system to the ceramic filter in turn, eventually producing clean water.

Next, the group took water samples after processing and tested them according to the standards of drinking water and then processed the data and adjusted the filtering method. When the test results of water samples returned from the Ho Chi Minh City's Pasteuer - Microbiological Laboratory were "within the allowable limits ", teachers and students breathed a sigh of relief.

According to Minh Khoa, households in remote and dry areas can use this small water filter to have clean water for year-round use, provided they have a rainwater tank. The cost for the filtration system is about 10 million VND, but if mass production is only half the price.

Students measure parts to design a more aesthetic water filtration system.(Photo: Manh Tung).

Dr. Pham Dang Khoa (Rector of Le Quy Don Secondary School) said that the product will be selected by the school to attend the Science and Technology Contest for secondary school students. The product has a reference to an environmental company wastewater treatment process, but the idea in each department is created by students.

"The best thing about this product is the meaning of protecting the environment and towards the community of students. They want this water filtration system to be installed for people in difficult places, lack of clean water. is something we are very happy with, ' Mr. Khoa shared.