November, 2017
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QUA
ZINE 2017
WHEN CURIOSITY AND NEED COLLIDED TO IGNITE THE FLAME OF INNOVATION
Aquatek SA is a sewage & water purification service provider that
offers innovative solutions for the treatment of raw sewage to the governmental, local authority and other industrial sectors.
The current technologies used in our treatment process & systems were researched, designed and developed over a 13 year period by Randall
Theys, formerly employed at the Bulk Water Department of the City of Cape Town.
Co-inventor and designer Clishae Lee/Ambruce Lee played an important role in the design and development of our non-chemical water purification technology.
Randall Theys is the chief inventor of the water purification process;
International Publication number PCT/IB2009/055903 of which Clishae Lee/Ambruce Lee is a co-inventor.
Our proprietary developed treatment processes and systems are
housed in a portable container or non-portable container which can be integrated with any waste water treatment or water purification plant.
EDITOR’S WORDS At the culmination of 2017, we found ourselves on the forefront of a national dialogue of meaningful importance. It’s long been the desire of AquatekSA to find a way to impact curriculum in the South African context, be it in basic schooling or in higher education. Understanding the science of water treatment solutions brings capacity closer to impact. Young people want to be effectual, they want to make a difference in their worlds, their communities and their lives. So when Wisehub, a project of the Swedish-based NGO Learning Academy Worldwide, asked us to be part of their annual summit, we saw it as a clear opportunity to connect our longheld aspirations of curriculum impact with a promising collaborative. Wisehub understands why breaking free from the moulds of traditional must not be done without sticking to the
basics of the importance of personal professional development, raising the knowledge level of teachers, students and principals and leveraging the potential of our young people. We met all these role players in gloriously collaborative settings when we gathered for the summit in Bloemfontein in October. We share some of that in this edition and hope it helps you agree that it was meaningful and rich. The immediate ramifications were that schools in South Africa, and Uganda, for that matter, saw the need to incorporate what we are doing for the needs they see in their schools, both to educate and to solve a real problem. Visits to schools have already been planned and one is completed at the time of writing. Exciting days are ahead.
AQUATEKSA EDITOR
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CONTENTS 6
November 2017
IMAGES FROM WISEHUB 2017 Selected images from the recent summit for educators in South Africa which was held in Bleomfontein in October.
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ALUMNA 40YRS LATER Fascinating fact about two graduates from a rural High School in the Western Cape who meet after 40 years
RESEARCH A 13-year Research journey of rigour and stealth
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DRINKING PURIFIED WASTEWATER? Would South Africans walk boldly from the apprehensive to the bold?
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INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER The Randall Theys journey, captured under the welcome shade of Bloemfontein
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IMAGES from wisehub 2017
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FORTY YEARS LATER
Two journeys The two men who shared the same stage in Bloemfontein on 21st October at the Central University of Technology, graduated from Emil Weder Secondary School (previously known as Emil Weder High) some 40 years ago. These two individual lives converged after 4 decades around a setting where curiosity and need collided to ignite a set of solutions that would impact generations to come. During those ‘voorligting’ (career guidance) classes in the Genadendal classrooms, it was often asked where students would see themselves in 10 or 20 years. The question about 40 years never came up.
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COOL NEWS EDITOR’S PICKS A generation watches During the interview on Saturday 21st October 2017 when Randall Theys presented the AquatekSA journey, his son, Ambruce (middle) watched, together with delegates at the Wisehub 2017 Summit. Sitting next to him is Daniel Tundu from Uganda (left) and Mohapi Mohlakoana (South Africa)
In they eye of the lens The entire interview with Randall Theys was documented by FelixFIlm, SWEDEN.
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13 Years of Research Randall Theys spent more than a dozen years venturing into a water purification solution that he knew would make a difference in the lives of people. ‘Something had to be done’, he explained after seeing a pregnant woman drawing water from a contaminated river. Often expected to work with stealth, the strains of a limited budget, the pressures of caring for family and home and the constant awareness that theft of intellectual property is a real threat, Randall stayed resolved about continuing the journey. The cost of his hard work over the years, especially the initial phases, proved a daunting reality ‘The research came out of the family coffers and a few trusted associates,’ Randall explained in an interview with Darren Stewart in October in Bloemfontein. This kind of support, including generous assistance from unexpected corners, added impetus to the research program. The current non-chemical water purification solution, therefore, is unique, not only as one of its only kind in the world, but also the consequence of a commitment to let the science and the results of research provide the backbone for this much-needed technology.
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RADIO
ONE STEP CLOSER TO DRINKING PURIFIED WASTEWATER? Transcript from interview on Smile 90.4FM with AquatekSA Technical Manager, Clishae Lee (CL) on 1 November, 2017. Radio hosts, Bobby Brown (BB) and Lindy Hibbard’s (LH) broadcast is transcripted courtesy Communications Management Support. BY: AQUATEKSA PRO
BB: Another waterless Wednesday and that of course means another opportunity for us to focus on innovations around water. This time a local company called AquatekSA has launched its purification technology that’s been years in the making now. The systems are currently in use at a hair salon in Stellenbosch and a chicken farm in Klipheuwel. And they are about to unveil another one at a school in Atlantis where borehole water will be purified to be used for toilet flushing, which is apparently responsible for as much as 50% of our daily water use. LH: I was going to say this makes so much sense. BB: I know, I didn’t know that we use that much water flushing actually, but we do. The company’s technical manager Clishae Lee says there is a non-chemical purification process CL: We have developed a system over, you know, over 13 years and where my dad actually as a main inventor of the technology perfected a process called dissociation using a multiconfigurationable electrical reactor, where our reactors dissociates any water molecules from any contaminant in waste water. We can bring it to potable standards. BB: Now he says their system is capable of purifying the waste water into clean drinking water but because of the lengthy legislative requirements involved they have decided to focus on treating water to be used for other wasteful uses like agriculture. He also explains why potable water is needed for flushing.
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Clishae Lee (left) speaks to Parkview Primary School Principal, Mr Waldy Kastoor, during the first site visit on the planned purification solution of borehole water for toilet flushing.
CL: What happens with water that is not treated. It’s not fit over time. What happens is all the moving parts within your system will clog up after a while, that is why potable water is required to put through the systems or to flush a toilet. If you look at grey water for instance there is soap and scum and fats and greases in there and after a time it starts stinking which gives off a bad odour. So we say we replace the impure water from the municipal lines and just use clean potable fit water for flushing purposes. BB: Makes a lot of sense then in our current situation saving water where and when we can, will become more and more crucial. Clishae says South Africans are still a bit squeamish about drinking purified wastewater. BB: Makes a lot of sense then in our current situation saving water where and when we can, will become more and more crucial. Clishae says South Africans are still a bit squeamish about drinking purified wastewater. CL: Guys, Namibia is already drinking recycled water by the way. We need to make it more aware to the country or to the local government maybe. Maybe the Western Cape government can become like a reference. BB: And that is so important that we re-examine our resistance to water purification and because we may just be forced to drink it one of these days. Lindi, would you drink waste water that’s been purified in front of your eyes? LH: Only if you go first. BB: And give it a moment to see if I survive. Now go check out our Facebook page where I will load a link to Aquatek SA’s Facebook page for you to go and learn more.
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#AquaEDu
AquatekSA recognizes the enormous responsibility it holds in the South African and global learning landscape. There are new innovative solutions ahead that will depend, for its discovery and implementation. on the capacity we build into the lives of our children and young people. Learning and teaching thus form part of what we do. Schools, Universities and Businesses can depend on us to not only share good practices but also serve as an ecosystem where knowledge is shared. Knowing is crucial to our country’s competitive edge in this world and AquatekSA gladly takes up the role of ensuring that the next generation is supported with knowledge of the science relevant to the management of our resources.’
You can now follow us on our regular podcast at AQUATALK
Use hashtag #AquaEDU to follow us on Twitter and FaceBook
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HEADING FOR EUROPE IN 2018
Capacity for Impact From 12 January - 5 February, AquatekSA Public Relations representative will spend time in Belgium, Italy and Stockholm as part of a capacityenhancing initaitve to strengthen Mr Lee’s function within the company. Modules within Pedagogy, trends within special needs education, technologyassisted learning and projectmanagement will form part of the exchange program. Strategically planned, AquatekSA plans to connect Mr Lee with specialists from Stockholm (Sweden) Univertsity, Sapienza University (Italy) and Learning Academy Worldwide (Belgium).
2018 Schedule • Arrival Belgium: 13 January • 14-16 January, BRUSSELS • 17-20 January, ROME • 21-23 January, BRUSSELS • 24-28 January, STOCKHOLM • 29 January - 5 February, BRUSSELS • Depart Belgium: 5 January
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interview As part of an extended project of documenting the originas and history of AquatekSA, Randall Theys (Founder) was interviewed by Wisehub representative, Darren Stewart, in Bloemfontein on Thursday 19th IOctober, 2017. Filmmaker, Helgi Felixson, from Iceland produced video and sound documentation throughout the insightful interview. Stewart asked about the challenges to come with being a pioneer and inventor to the Randall They’s views on education and entrepreneurship.
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