36 Membrane Technology
January/February 2010 World Water
A two-year pilot project being
carried out in the federal state of
Minas Gerais, Brazil, by the
German company Gr�nbeck
Wasseraufbereitung GmbH and
Copasa, a Brazilian utility, aims to
demonstrate how a decentralized
water supply could be ensured by
using a compact, modular, mobile
treatment system that generates
high-quality drinking water in close
proximity to the user. The
installation of remote control
enables the container system to be
monitored and controlled from a
central facility. Gr�nbeck is based in
H�chst�dt, Bavaria.
People in the northeast section of
Minas Gerais in southeast Brazil
face considerable problems with
their drinking water supply. Small,
mainly poor rural settlements are
scattered throughout the region.
The semi-arid climate and the
geological structure of the region
cause groundwater wells to turn
salty within a few years of
operation, resulting in their
abandonment. For water supply,
river water is treated rudimentarily
by means of breakpoint chlorin-
ation, flocculation, and quick
filtration. These simple treatment
methods often cannot meet the legal
drinking water regulations.
Tank trucks supply water
frequently during the dry season.
A pipe connection to the water
network would be prohibitively
expensive due to the long distance
and low population density.
Commonly, homes are equipped
with water storage tanks that tend
to favor bacterial growth. Women
and children, living in areas where
no local drinking water
infrastructure is available and a
supply by tank truck is impossible,
Clean water
from a container
A Bavarian "Beacon Project" produces clean, drinking water by means
of a modular combination of various treatment processes in a compact
design for small, rural settlements in northeast Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Helmuth Ziegler reports on the project.
A woman returns from a nearby river
where she washes clothes. Inadequate
water supply creates more work for
the people in Minas Gerais. Photo by
J�rgen H�ssler
The northeast area of the Brazilian
federal state of Minas Gerais is
sparsely populated. Photo by
J�rgen H�ssler

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16Page 17Page 18Page 19Page 20Page 21Page 22Page 23Page 24Page 25Page 26Page 27Page 28Page 29Page 30Page 31Page 32Page 33Page 34Page 35Page 36Page 37Page 38Page 39Page 40Page 41Page 42Page 43Page 44Page 45Page 46Page 47Page 48Page 49Page 50Page 51Page 52 Produced by PageSuite