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Willeton Water Cycle
The Background
Jason, Amy, Sarah & Todd wanted to create a device that could deliver clean water to poor communities in developing countries. For such a device to be really useful to these communities, it would need to be simple, affordable, appropriate and environmentally friendly - in other words their design had to be sustainable. They took on this challenge as part of the year 9 Science class, supported by their teacher Brett Boughton.
The Project
In order to design an appropriate device, the students firstly researched the needs of people living in developing countries. The design needed to be simple and self powered as remote communities might not have access to power or technicians to repair a complex device. To avoid potential environmental hazards and expense, the team decided to use membranes to filter impurities out of the water. With a lack of access to clean water, there is often a lack of access to regular and reliable power. To pump water through the membrane, the team decided to use the reliability of bicycle pedal power. With excellent documentation, learning processes and experimentation the students tackled social and environmental issues by designing a ‘reverse osmosis’ water purification device, powered by a bicycle. A fully functioning prototype was built and trialled by the students.
The Journey
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This project is a great example of how technology and appropriate design can solve sustainability challenges. The application of science to a real world scenario provides a meaningful learning experience.
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The team went through a valuable active learning process by researching, designing and building the water purifier.
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This project considers the relationships between social and environmental sustainability issues.
For many people living in poor communities, accessing clean water is extremely difficult and can cause many related social, economic and environmental problems. Culturally appropriate technology, such as the Willeton Water Cycle, provides a sustainable solution and can greatly improve the environment and people's lives.
