Solar-powered off-grid water purification for post-hurricane emergency relief Sohad Abu-Elzait, Bradley Del Vecchio, John Duncan Burns Volume 3, Issue 2

https://www.academia.edu/journals/academia-green-energy/articles?source=journal-top-nav Introduction: Hurricane Helene (September 2024) devastated Western North Carolina, contaminating water sources and severing transportation infrastructure. This study presents a portable, solar-powered water purification system designed for post-disaster deployment. Materials and methods: The system integrates a 400 W photovoltaic array, 2042 Wh battery, gravity-fed biochar/sand pre-filtration, reverse osmosis, and UV disinfection. Over 14 consecutive days, creek and pond water were tested pre- and post-treatment (N = 14 per condition) for 13 physicochemical and 2 bacteriological parameters. Independent-samples t-tests assessed treatment significance. Results: Statistically significant reductions (p < 0.001) were achieved for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) (42–86%), iron (93.9–97%), nitrate (93–97%), and nitrite (95–98%), with complete fecal E. coli elimination. Flow rate declined by 1.8% over 14 days (R2 = 0.55, p < 0.001). The system produced 65 l/day at an estimated capital cost of ~$0.015/l. Conclusions: The system meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards using a reproducible, sub-$3500 design, offering a cost-effective model for decentralized emergency water security in hurricane-affected regions. https://www.academia.edu/2998-3665/3/2/10.20935/AcadEnergy8323