A Pipe Dream? The Efficacy of Point of Use Water Systems Policy dialogue

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A Pipe Dream? The Efficacy of Point of Use
Water Systems Policy dialogue
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• Technological solutions from a research
  perspective

TG Barnard Water and Health Research Centre
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HISTORY OF WHRC

• Established in 2004 Prof Paul Jagals
• Since 2008 Dr TG Barnard
• Originally known as the Water and Health
  Research Unit
• Now known as the Water and Health Research
  Centre
• Change in direction needed to answer demands
  from SA water sector

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RESEARCH FOCUS OLD VERSUS NEW

• Original research focus
• Inter-disciplinary research approach to
  establish the HESET risk assessment toolkit
  for evaluating water related studies
• HESET Health, economical, social,
  environmental, technology
• Adapted research focus
• Inter-disciplinary research approach using
  current expertise available in Faculty of Health
  Science
• Initial main focus on developing advanced
  technology for water, stool and food samples for
  the presence of bacterial pathogens

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RESEARCH AIMS

• Research aims
• Detection of bacterial pathogens (qualitative and
  quantitative)
• Public perceptions regarding water, water
  treatment or water technology
• Commercialization of projects
• Commercialization of projects topic of
  presentation
• Personal experiences with the design and
  commercialization process
• My views and experiences not necessarily the
  same for all

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OUR APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION

• Call for multi-disciplinary research to answer
  needs of country
• Including sociologists or anthropologists
• Next step include Industrial designer
• University of Venda and University of
  Johannesburg project
• Funded by Water Research Commission
• Potters-for-Peace Ceramic Water Filter

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OUR APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION
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OUR APPROACH TO COMMERCIALIZATION

• What did we learn?
• We need to link science with industrial design
• Appointed Industrial designer in the Centre
• Working with designer not always easy!
• Different backgrounds makes communication
  difficult

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THE DESIGN PROCESS
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PRODUCTS SO FAR
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HOW DO WE PROJECT OUR DESIGN?

• Patenting or licencing?
• Do not patent whole design
• Patent small parts of the design
• Our approach is determined by each product
• Do we want to produce this?
• Do we licence and rent our idea to industry?

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HOW DO WE APPROACH OUR PRODUCTS?

• What we want and we can do not the same?
• Be realistic in what can be done
• Need for prototyping
• What type of method used to produce the product
• Rotor moulding, injection moulding, rapid
  growing etc.
• Looking at cost vs. quality vs. output
• What do the community want?
• Is it practical to produce and use?
• Would they really want to use it?
• Would you use your product?

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HOW DO WE FUND OUR PRODUCTS?

• Look at hidden design costs?
• Different moulds can influence your cost
• Produce in SA or China?
• Decide what you want to do then look for funds
• Look at projected actual costs?
• Can people afford to buy it?
• Can we make it more affordable?
• Jay Bhagwan design approach

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OUR PROBLEMS?

• We have the ideas and designs but we are not
  business men
• When applying for funds
• Business plan/model
• Market survey etc.
• This makes commercialization difficult!

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FINAL THOUGHTS?

• Get a good team together
• Design what the affluent would want to buy but
  the poor need to use
• Have fun with your project!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Collaborators
• University of Venda Prof Natasha Potgieter
• ERWAT and Rand Water
• Funders
• University of Johannesburg
• Water Research Commission
• National Research Foundation
• University of Johannesburg
• Prof Andre Swart
• Industrial designers Robin Robertson and Martin
  Bolton
• WHRC lab personal and students

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We drink tap water.
Do you?