Young water wizards get creative to deliver potable water to communities

Ahead of water week, Mpumalanga pupils were rewarded for their water initiatives at a science expo last week.

March 21, 2016

Mireille de Villiers 2 minutes read

ML Nkuna High School's Mandisa Sambo, Khoza Moneriana, Innocent Mabunda, (back) Sihlangu Mbali and Siwela Vutomi.

MBOMBELA – Armed with little more than plastic bottles, wires and stones, pupils from across Mpumalanga showed they could purify water to a drinkable state.

Ahead of National Water Week, taking place this week, the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency hosted a science competition at the University of Mpumalanga on Saturday.

For Water Month the Department of Water and Sanitation is running a campaign under the theme, “Water for People – Water by People”. Accordingly, the competition sought to reward innovative pupils in a water-scarce country affected by a drought.

Pupils from 18 schools participated in the competition in teams of five or fewer.

They were required to build water treatment models to treat five litres of raw water with which they were supplied.

The aim was to get the water to a partial drinking water standard.

They used buckets, plastic bottles, wire, glue, sand and gravel. Some teams used “secret ingredients” to aid in the process.

Mthokozisi Mnisi with his group's water filtering system. — Mthokozisi Mnisi with his group’s water filtering system.

Vincent Vusihlatshwayo from Mandlesive High School in Daantjie explained his team added crushed anthracite to their sand and gravel filter to enhance the effectiveness of the disinfection stage.

The girls from ML Nkuna High School added lime to their water purification system before filtering the water, team member Sihlangu Mbali explained.

At the end each team’s purified water was tested to determine the winners. Shanke Senior Secondary School from Bushbuckridge managed to clean their water by 76 per cent. Each of the four team members were then rewarded with R4 000 and an iPad.

Highveld High School was awarded second place and Khaliphani Secondary School third. Both teams managed 67 per cent. Their teachers were also awarded with cash prizes.

Aside from the department, Rand Water, Sembcorp Silulumanzi, Komati Basin Water Authority, ZMG-Watech, Sappi, Working on Fire and Sanlam, all supported the initiative.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has appealed to all citizens to conserve water, trying new water-saving initiatives. Like putting a brick or a two-litre bottle filled with water and sand in a toilet’s cistern, which reduces the water flush to nine litres and can save up to 20 per cent of one’s water consumption, according to the department.

They also recommend using grey water, used water from baths and washing machines, as well as stored roof water and cooled water from boiling eggs, to water plants and gardens.