Design and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Dual-Column Filtration System Incorporating Multi-Media Filtration and Ion-Exchange Resin for Improving Irrigation Water Quality

Mohamad Faizal Abdul Halik

Research Scholar, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Eastern University, Sri Lanka.   

Abstract

Water quality is a critical determinant of soil health, irrigation efficiency, and sustainable crop production, particularly in small-scale home gardens where access to treated water is often limited. Alternative water sources such as harvested rainwater, gray water, and municipal drainage water frequently contain excessive suspended solids, turbidity, dissolved solids, and hardness-causing minerals that compromise irrigation system performance and agricultural productivity. This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate a low-cost dual-column filtration system capable of improving irrigation water quality through physical filtration and ion-exchange treatment for application in small-scale agricultural settings.

The system was constructed using two vertical PVC columns (4 inches diameter, 3 feet height) incorporating locally available materials. The first column functioned as a physical filtration unit with layered media (large stones, gravel, sand, activated charcoal, and cloth) arranged in an up-flow configuration to maximize contact time. The second column contained ion-exchange resin for hardness removal through calcium and magnesium ion exchange with sodium. Water quality parameters including turbidity, TSS, TDS, and total hardness were measured before and after treatment using standard laboratory procedures. The system demonstrated exceptional removal efficiencies, with average reductions of 99.51% for TSS, 96.86% for TDS, 90.8% for turbidity, and 93.2% for water hardness across all tested water samples. Performance varied by water type, with the highest turbidity removal (94.5%) observed in gray water and the highest TDS removal (98.57%) in municipal drainage canal water.

The developed dual-column filtration system offers an economically viable, operationally simple, and highly effective solution for improving irrigation water quality in home gardens and small-scale farming. The system effectively minimizes emitter clogging risks in micro-irrigation systems while promoting sustainable water resource management. However, it is less suitable for treating water containing extreme pH levels, heavy metals, or other complex chemical contaminants requiring advanced treatment technologies.     

Keywords: Dual-column filtration system, Irrigation water quality, Ion-exchange resin, Water hardness removal, Home gardens, Sustainable water resource management 

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