Access to quality drinking water remains a major challenge in several rural communities in Benin, where people continue to rely on traditional wells vulnerable to physicochemical and microbiological contamination. In response to this situation, the SMART-BIOFILTER BENIN project offers an innovative solution combining water treatment, agricultural waste valorization, and intelligent water quality monitoring.
The study was conducted using water from a rural well located in the village of Akpali (Zè commune). A site vulnerability assessment and a physicochemical characterization of the water confirmed the need for treatment before consumption. To address this need, several local agricultural waste products were studied for their potential for transformation into biochar, with particular attention paid to coconut shells.
Experimental tests have demonstrated the effectiveness of coconut shell biochar, with reductions of 87.23% in turbidity, 89.86% in phosphates, 98.29% in potassium and 51.88% in conductivity, while improving the pH from 6.20 to 7.2. These results confirm its potential as a low-cost local filter material.
The project also incorporates an intelligent sensor-based system to monitor several water quality parameters in real time and estimate filter wear in order to alert the user when maintenance becomes necessary.
By combining frugal innovation, circular economy and accessible technologies, SMART-BIOFILTER BENIN constitutes a sustainable and reproducible solution to improve water safety in rural communities in Benin and other regions facing similar problems.
