Ultrafiltration for Disaster Relief and NGO Water Response
Relief water treatment is constrained by logistics before it is constrained by engineering: weight on the pallet, power that may not exist, and operators who have never seen the device. A hollow fibre unit with a stated litre capacity and a washable element answers all three, which is why the format has displaced chemical dosing in first-response kits.
The failure mode in a relief operation is not usually a broken filter - it is a filter nobody can use, or one whose capacity was never stated so nobody knows when to stop trusting it. Specifying a rated volume and a washing procedure is as important as the pore size.
Straw, pump or station?
Straws for individuals on the move (O-A7 at over 400 ml/min, 90 g); hand pumps for a family or small group (O-C3, 3,000 L rated, 700-1000 ml/min); stations for a distribution point (O-C5, over 10,000 L, 4 L/min, 304 stainless and ceramic). Pick by how many people share one device, not by headline flow.
What has to be on the label?
Rated litres, flow rate, pore size and the washing method. All four are stated on our spec sheets. A device without a rated volume gives the operator no way to plan replacement, which is how units get used past their capacity.
How is contamination between users avoided?
By design of the interface: separate inlet and outlet, no mouth contact with the dirty side on pump models, and a backflush routine between sources. Training matters more than hardware here, and we ship the washing instruction with the unit.
Typical configuration
O-A7 High-Flow Outdoor Filter Straw
High-flow variant of the survival straw with a 304 stainless steel stage added to ABS, silica gel, hollow fiber UF and PP cotton. At least 400 ml/min — a third more flow than O-A6 at 90 g.
at least 1,000 L · Over 400 ml/min, 90 g
O-C3 High-Flow Survival Water Pump
Six-stage hand-pump filter rated 3000 L and 700–1000 ml/min at only 185 g. Stages: hollow fiber UF, coconut shell activated carbon, KDF, carbon fiber and PP cotton.
3,000 L · 700-1000 ml/min, 185 g
O-C5 Heavy-Duty Stainless Steel Water Pump
Pump station built in 304 stainless steel with a ceramic membrane, rated 10000 L and 4 L/min at 2.8 kg. For base camps, field teams and repeated group use rather than a pocket kit.
over 10,000 L · 4 L/min, 304 stainless + ceramic
Frequently asked questions
Does it remove viruses?
A 0.01 micron hollow fibre is a barrier for bacteria and protozoa; viruses are smaller and we do not claim virus removal for these models. Where viral risk is the driver, combine filtration with an approved disinfection step.
Can it be reused after a deployment?
Yes - backflush, brush the element, and store dry. Rated capacity is cumulative, so track litres rather than days.
What is the shelf life in storage?
Stored dry and out of sunlight, the units keep for years. We do not publish a formal expiry date, so inspect the element before each deployment.
Work out the numbers
Send the deployment size and source type - we will propose a straw, pump and station mix with the washing procedure.