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Stellenbosch Scientists Invent Cheap & Easy Water Filtration for the Masses

Prof. Eugene Cloete and his colleagues at the Water Institute of the University of Stellenbosch have come up with a helpful solution to the problem of drinking water in developing countries. The professor invented an inexpensive, teabag-like sac of nano-fibres — each about one hundredth the width of a human hair — which is secured into the lid of a reusable vessel. The water then passes through the filter secured in the lid and is thereby purified and made much more potable for human consumption.

The importance of the breakthrough is not only in its ease, but in its cheapness. Prof. Cloete estimates it would cost just three cents a litre to produce water that is the same quality level as bottled water (If he means three ZAR cents, then that is about equivalent to half a U.S. dollar cent — half a penny). Numerous foundations have expressed interest in a major roll-out of the cheap and efficient new filter system invented at Stellenbosch University.

In the video above, Prof. Eugene Cloete and Dr. Marelizes Botes explain the use and the science of the teabag filter, though I’m afraid the science of it goes a bit beyond my layman’s knowledge. The professor does manage to work in a bit of Afrikaans at the end of the video though.

Published at 11:24 am on Wednesday 28 July 2010. Categories: Stellenbosch Tags: , , .
Comments

I took note of this article because in April 2009 I was working on a large translation project for the ACT Global event (see http://actglobal.nl/act-portal/ ). During the conference at Leeuwaarden in Friesland, Vestergaard-Frandsen (see http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/ ) presented their “Life Straw” (see http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw ).

I am not sure how different this device is to water filtration device in the article you present as I have not studied them in detail. However, I was pretty impressed with the presentation and demonstration of the “Life Straw”.

As a South African, I would be very proud to hear that we are somewhere in the vanguard of this development, however, Vestergaard-Frandsen had their product developed and available on the market in April, 2009. They are headquartered in Switzerland.

Nonetheless, both appear to be good products for an noble cause.

— Dave Cooper 28 Jul 2010 2:51 pm
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