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884 million people do not have access to an improved water source. Potable water scarcity is most acute in refugee camps and disaster relief. One emerging solution is Hydration Technology Innovation’s HydroWellTM system, which purifies water via forward osmosis (FO). The HydroWell produces clean drink from almost any source water. This is advantageous over other water purification systems, as the drink product not only hydrates the user, but also contains nutrients and electrolytes that relieve malnutrition and diarrheal illness, two of the major causes of mortality in populations afflicted by emergencies such as natural disasters, political/social upheavals and disease outbreaks.
A systematic evaluation of the HydroWellTM was performed to determine contaminant removal, the impact of select cleaning reagents, and minimize operating costs. Previously, it had been shown that the system can remove bacteria, viruses and cysts to EPA standards. However, the system has never been evaluated for the removal of heavy metals. This work has determined that the membrane used in the HydroWellTM can dramatically reduce the levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, chromium, copper, cadmium, selenium, molybdenum and sodium chloride from water. Since there are significant material constraints in the proposed applications, the membrane was evaluated for compatibility with various cleaning chemicals that could be used to reduce or prevent fouling. These include sodium metabisulfite, sodium dodecyl sulfate, MinncareTM, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hypochlorite. Lastly, a cost model was developed based on the operating parameters of the system, the cost of the draw solution, and the longevity of the membrane. Our initial results estimate that, using retail prices, clean drink can be produced at a cost of $0.34 per liter. However, our analysis shows room for significant cost reductions if locally available materials are used, volume pricing is available, or membrane longevity is enhanced.