Effectiveness of a locally sourced multi-material ceramic filter for iron and manganese removal from tropical groundwater

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water for many households in Indonesia; however, its quality is often compromised by metals such as iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). These elements degrade water aesthetics and may pose health risks, highlighting the need for simple, effective, and affordable treatment technologies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a ceramic filter composed of five locally sourced materials—clay, sawdust, rice husk, zeolite, and activated carbon—for reducing Fe and Mn concentrations in groundwater in Makassar. The study employed a pre–post-test with control design. A single homogenized influent batch was used as the reference (Before, measured once), while the control (empty housing) and ceramic media filtration were operated in parallel under gravity flow with the feed tank elevated by approximately 2 m (floor to tank base). Five outlet subsamples were collected for each condition (n = 5; sampling points 1–5) after steady flow was achieved. The results showed that Fe decreased from 0.57 to 0.11 mg/L (81.33% removal) and Mn decreased from 2.58 to 0.49 mg/L (80.92% removal). The final Fe concentration met both the national quality standard (0.2 mg/L) and the WHO acceptability value (0.3 mg/L), whereas Mn remained above the 0.1 mg/L guideline value. Overall, the multi-material ceramic filter shows potential as a low-cost household-scale option for improving groundwater quality, although further optimization is required to achieve reliable Mn compliance. This technology supports progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on universal access to safe water and sanitation. • A locally sourced five-material ceramic packed bed achieved >80% Fe and Mn removal. • Fe decreased to 0.11 mg/L, meeting Indonesian (0.2 mg/L) and WHO (0.3 mg/L) values. • Mn decreased to 0.49 mg/L but remained above 0.1 mg/L, highlighting Mn-specific constraints. • Combined pore-formers and adsorptive/ion-exchange additives enabled balanced Fe/Mn reduction. • Results support low-cost point-of-use treatment potential for tropical groundwater settings.