Photo Credit: Mork Water Solutions
Local experts put a range of drinking water technologies developed in Western Australia to the test last week.
Staff and students from Murdoch and Curtin Universities joined Federal member the Hon Julie Bishop MP at City Beach groyne to view technology developed by Perth-based MÖRK Water Solutions.Ms Bishop was invited to learn more about the joint initiatives between the parties to provide safe drinking water to Indo-Pacific communities and isolated areas of WA, using small-scale solar powered desalination units.
Murdoch University Academic Chair Environmental Engineering Dr Martin Anda explained that he and his students were able to successfully implement desalination units designed by MÖRK Water Solutions in several Indonesian villages, funded by the New Colombo Plan.
“Through this program, the Murdoch students have taken the kits to some remote communities in Indonesia, and provided members of those communities with onsite training in how to take ownership and operate the technology,” Dr Anda said.
"Following on from the success of the first phase of research and implementation of the units, we will be taking the next batch to additional communities in India and Indonesia in early 2019."
Image: Tom Wheeler, right, discusses drinking water solutions for remote communities.Recent WA Water Awards student water prize winner and Murdoch Environmental Engineering student, Tom Wheeler outlined a partnership with Surfrider Foundation Australia, not-for-profit organisation Bottle for Botol, and MÖRK Water Solutions.
The partnership recently applied for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Friendship Grant with a project that aims to reduce single-use plastic and install MÖRK Water’s technology in Nusa Lembongan, Bali.
“We have been able to provide these solar power desalination units and reusable water bottles to eliminate single-use plastic at the source, whilst providing a sustainable water supply to the community,” Mr Wheeler said.
Similar projects are underway using MÖRK Water Solutions desalination devices in remote Western Australia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and East Africa – giving about 15,000 people access to drinking water.
Ms Bishop said she was impressed by the innovative technology and efforts to train and equip international students with knowledge of the water provision technology to take back to their home countries.
“Clean water, clean drinking water and sanitation are necessities of life -water is a fundamental resource and the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 6 aims for access for all to water and sanitation - that’s how important it is in underpinning sustainable communities and the reduction of poverty,” Ms Bishop said.
“I want to acknowledge the students here today from Solomon Islands, Germany, Indonesia Fiji, India, Iran, Nepal and representatives from Curtin and Murdoch Universities.
“I can envisage how this system deployed throughout the Pacific, East Africa, the Indian Ocean will change lives by giving people an opportunity for a livelihood and a better standard of living, so congratulations to the team."