A Biosand filter basically applies a system of sand, gravels and biologically active micro-organisms to remove unwanted substances from drinking water. Field trials of the biosand filter for domestic water treatment in rural communities have shown remarkable health gains. In line with this, there are calls to scale up its application in developing countries. This study investigated factors that may influence the acceptability of the biosand filter at the household level in rural communities in Ghana. The study further applied lifecycle environmental and cost assessments to analyse the eco-efficiency potential of the biosand filter and examined prospects of leveraging this potential for green business development. The key demographic and socio-economic indicators of biosand filter acceptability were gender, age, education and wealth. Females showed greater interest in the biosand filter, while increase in age, relative advancement in education and economic status of respondents increased the prospects of purchasing biosand filter. Compared to local sachet water production, which was considered as an alternative to household application of the biosand filter, it was established that the latter had superior eco-efficiency, provided quite comparable profitability and was potentially viable for eco-business development.

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