Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability for Rural Mpumalanga

Overview this Project

The project is a community-engaged project currently carried out by researchers and postgraduate students based in the Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (NanoWS) Research Unit in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of South Africa (UNISA). This project is performed in partnership with a small rural community called Lochiel situated in the Mpumalanga Province (South Africa) that has approximately 5000 citizens.

Objectives of the NanoWS4RUMP

The project seeks to provide a holistic community-engaged solution to water-related problems that the community has experienced for many decades. The project leaders engaged the councilors of the local municipality, various local schools and the general public to participate in community engagement workshops and/or meetings. These informative workshops or meetings serves to educate the community members on issues of relating to water deterioration that directly affect them. In addition, the team conduct yearly workshops in particular during the National Science Week to science and technology educators and students. Approximately 500 students from grade 11 and 12 participate in these educational workshops. The goal of the workshops is to create awareness on the social and economic impact of water challenges and demonstrate new developments in water treatment technologies (such as nanotechnologies and adsorption and membrane technologies). Other activities involve inviting leaners from disadvantaged schools to visit UNISA and get exposure to these 21^st Century technologies as well as activities organized by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement run by our members.

Our Approach

Our approach to addressing the problem of water scarcity and water polllution entails engaging the community to become a part of the project that seeks to provide solutions to the existing problems in the area. In addition, since this is research-based project, the following steps are followed:

• Assess the extent and impact of drinking water quality and access to the community. This part of the project is linked with an NRF Nanotechnology Flagship Programme (NFP).
• Engage the local area municipal councilors in the proposed project. Meetings with the municipality have been held since May 2014 in the study area (Lochiel, Mpumalanga Province).
• Performing field trials on integrated energy efficient system based on nanotechnology. The nanomaterials used on this state-of-the-art solar system are synthesized and tested under the auspices of funds received from the NFP and UNISA. The integrated system is applied in the treatment of water from wells and boreholes and has been tested in 2015 and 2016 at Sisukumile Secondary School.
• Holding community engagement workshops in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training (Gert Sibande District Municipality), SAASTA’s Nanotechnology Public Engagement Project (NPEP), the NFP and the IBSA Water Nanotechnology Group. The focus is placed on the role of science, engineering and technology (in particular nanotechnology) in addressing water problems facing our society in recent times.
• Solicit funds to construct a drinking water treatment plant based on advanced membrane technologies. The goal is to build a small plant in one of the schools close to a well and it will have two components to it. One component will have conventional ultrafiltration/nanofiltration membranes (e.g. from BASF) and the other will have our membrane materials developed in our laboratories at UNISA for demonstration purposes and later commercialization after certification. Some partners from Netherlands (TU DEFT) and civil engineering experts from UGent (Belgium) will assist with assessment and designs. The water from the plant will be stored in a large storage stage and distributed with the support from the local municipality.

Project Outputs

• Provision of potable water to the rural communities in line with South Africa Constitution (108/1996), Section 24, which states that every citizen has the right to clean water and a healthy environment that is protected for the benefit present and future generation.
• Catalyze community development (and social entrepreneurship) through downstream training and development of business.
• Publication of technical reports as well as scientific papers.
• Skills development in the water sector, science, engineering and technology (business and technical) through training and educational workshops.

Contact details

Prof Edward Nxumalo

nxumaen@unisa.ac.za or nanows@unisa.ac.za

Tel: 0116709498