Evolution of the Verification Program

In the early stages of the BCSIR arsenic removal technology Verification Program, it was hoped that some vendors of arsenic removal technologies (so-called proponents) might provide independent test data that could be used to verify the performance claim for their technology. Test data and the proponent's description of their technology were both screened, to assess if the information was suitable for performance claim verification. It was found, however, that no technology proponents were generating information that would be suitable for performance claim verification.

It was decided by BCSIR (in December, 2002) that the technology proponents should have their technologies independently tested under Bangladesh field conditions, under the supervision of BCSIR. The field tests were designed and implemented with input from a Technical Expert Committee comprised of senior Bangladeshi scientists.

The end result of a successful verification is a verified performance claim. The claim, based on field test observations, specifies that a particular Arsenic Removal Technology (ART) can:

• Produce arsenic-safe, potable water from arsenic contaminated groundwater that contains known concentrations of As, iron, phosphate, silicate, sulphate (SO₄^2-), etc.,
• Produce arsenic-safe, potable water from arsenic contaminated groundwater within a certain range of pH,
• Treat X and Y litres of arsenic-safe water in a day (or per batch) and before media replacement (for ARTs that employ sorption media), respectively.

The Technical Expert Committee reviewed the results of the technologies that were field tested under the program in 2003. The Committee decided that for each technology that had performed satisfactorily in the field test, BCSIR would award the proponent of that technology Provisional Verification for the technology. The technology would then have to be subjected to a monitoring program, as a precondition to Final Verification.

Each Provisionally Verified technology was issued a Verification Certificate by BCSIR. The certificate allowed the sale of the technology in Bangladesh for a period set by BCSIR. The certificate issued to a proponent shows the deployment conditions for the technology, including upper limits of certain well water quality parameters, such as concentrations of arsenic, phosphate, etc. at wells where that particular technology can be deployed.

Before receiving this certificate, the proponent had to sign a Legal Agreement with BCSIR. The legal agreement outlines the proponent's obligations during the provisional verification period.

Four technologies were awarded Provisional Verification certificates by BCSIR in 2004. Field monitoring of those technologies began in 2008. Successful completion of the field monitoring led to BCSIR issuing Full Verification to those technologies in 2009.

In 2005, the Government of Bangladesh formally adopted a one step verification process, eliminating the provisional verification stage.