Efficacy and Sustainable Adoption of BioSand Filters for Household Drinking Water Treatment: Case Study in Borama, Somalia

Abstract This case study investigates the efficacy of BioSand Filters (BSFs) in providing safe drinking water in the Borama district of Somalia, a region characterized by water scarcity and contamination. The research assesses the BSF's performance in removing pathogens and improving water quality, analyzing both laboratory and field results. Utilizing a combination of manual and biological testing, the study evaluates the filter's effectiveness in reducing bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths, alongside turbidity and iron. The BSF demonstrated significant pathogen removal, achieving up to 95.66% bacterial reduction in laboratory settings and between 87.9% and 98.5% in field conditions, with consistent helminth removal and an 85% reduction in turbidity. The study also explores community adoption and long-term use, highlighting the importance of community engagement and proper maintenance in ensuring the sustainability of BSF implementation. While the BSF effectively addresses microbial contamination and turbidity, it is limited in its ability to remove dissolved contaminants, pointing towards the potential need for complementary water treatment methods. The findings underscore the BSF's potential as a cost-effective, decentralized solution for improving access to safe drinking water in resource-constrained environments, contributing to the body of knowledge on point-of-use water treatment technologies.