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Programs and Projects

Initiative for the Purification of Water in Columbia

Lead Agency


Colombian Vice-Ministry of Water and Sanitation

The Vice-Ministry heads up the social management of public utility services of the aqueduct, sewer systems, and sanitation in Colombia. Their purpose is to guarantee quality service through efficient business partners, fair and equitable rates, and improvement of the quality rate of life of the citizenry.

Executing Organisms:
Santa Elena Multi-Settlement Aqueduct Corporation
Association of Consumers of the South Purified Water Services
Cooperative Public Administration of Public Services

Partners

With a broad trajectory in scientific innovation, the MIOX Company, which was founded in 1994, began manufacturing of on-site generators for the purification of water. Currently, there are more than 1,500 installations in the United States and in more than 30 countries. MIOX equipment treats more than 24.6 million of liters of water daily, which benefit millions of people throughout the world. MIOX technology is also used in residual water treatments, reusing of water, for commercial use in pools, in military equipment and vessels, in the food and beverage industry and also in various commercial and industrial applications.

Country/Region

  • Colombia

Objectives

To supply potable water to communities that do not have access to this service through the donation of potabilization plants

The specific objectives are:
  1. To measure the social impact that each potabilization plant shall have in order to replicate this initiative at other locations in Colombia as well as in Latin America.
  2. To develop a methodology for the selection of communities to define which are appropriate to receive the potabilization equipment.
  3. To achieve jointly with the Colombian Vice-Ministry of Water and Sanitation, the inclusion of citizenry to the putification plant operation.
  4. To assure that the infrastructure and the purification equipment have adequate technology but operate in a low cost manner that is easy to manage and is secure .

Initiative Description

Initiative of a pilot plan consists of 3 phases:
  • 1st  Phase: The selection of three areas in Colombia, each one with electricity and lack of purified water, according to an evaluation coordinated by the Colombian Vice-Ministry of Water and Sanitation.
  • 2nd Phase: Installation of the MIOX purification system at each of the three localities. The purification system requires only electricity for its operation and approximately 5 kilograms of table salt.
  • 3rd Phase:  The social impact shall be measured at each one of these communities before and after the installation and operation of the plant and according to the results, a methodology shall be developed for the selection of communities, its implementation, and the maintenance of the plants, and this shall be replicated in other areas of the country.

Beneficiaries

  • Rural Settlement of Santa Elena, Department of Antioquia, Colombia
    Rural area of the City of Medellín
    Population: 10,898 inhabitants
    Economic Activities: Agriculture, Farming, and Tourism

  • Jamundí, Department of the Valley of Cauca, Colombia.
    Metropolitan Area of the City of Cali.
    Population: 93,000 inhabitants.
    Economic Activities: Agriculture, Farming, and Mining

  • County Seat of Puerto Escondido, Department of Cordoba, Colombia.
    Population: 10, 985 inhabitants
    Economical Activities: Fishing and Agriculture