School Water and Sanitation

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The 2017 National Education Infrastructure Management System report states that of the 23,577 public primary and secondary schools in South Africa, there were:

  • 5,175 schools without water or with unreliable water supply
  • 68 schools with no toilets
  • 9,203 schools with pit latrines
  • 7,105 schools with VIPs
  • 2,912 schools with septic tank systems
  • 8,574 schools with flush toilets on municipal systems

This indicates some of the very significant challenges being faced by schools in relation to water and sanitation. Gauge has been exploring how this can be addressed through alternative sanitation models, such as the use of composting toilets, aqua privies and onsite biological systems. These alternatives avoid problems associated with existing flush toilet (such as large-scale water consumption) and pit latrine (the risk of contaminating groundwater) systems used in many schools and have a range of advantages. Please contact us if you are interested in studies on school sanitation and water.

 

Accessible Tourism

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The tourism sector in South Africa plays an important role in the economy and in 2016 contributed R 402 billion to the economy  (9.3% of the GDP) and was responsible for 9.8% of South Africa’s total employment. Tourism is likely to continue to grow and is set to contribute 11.5% of South Africa’s GDP by 2023 (South African hospitality outlook: 2013-2017)

This growth, however, may be curtailed if tourist destinations are not accessible and do not comply with international best practice standards. It is important, therefore, to define best practice standards and support tourism institutions in achieving these. Gauge has a strong understanding of sustainability and inclusion standards and has developed effective tools to apply these in a wide range of contexts and building types in South Africa.

They are currently working a project that includes auditing tourism sites and developing prioritised recommendations to address gaps in standards and improve performance. Gauge will be developing design interventions that complement and supplement existing infrastructure to create more accessible and inclusive sites.

Composting Toilet

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Climate change projections indicate that many areas of South Africa will experience higher average temperatures and reduced rainfall. As South Africa is already a water-stressed country, climate change is will lead to increased water scarcity and shortages in many areas. Flushing toilets can be responsible for up to 40% of the total water consumed in buildings and this technology is therefore increasingly unsustainable in many areas and alternatives have to be identified.

Gauge has developed a range of technologies and kits that address climate change and improve the sustainability performance of buildings and urban areas. Technology is designed to be easily and cost-effectively implemented and suit a range of contexts and building types. One of the technologies developed by Gauge is an easy-to-assemble low-cost composting toilet, called a Compoloo.

Compoloos do not use water and electricity and provide useful compost that can be used to enhance the soil fertility. Very large water savings can be achieved using the technology and up to 27litres per day per person, or 9,855 litres per year, can be saved. This ensures that more water is available for drinking, washing, cleaning and for irrigation which directly support health and well-being. In addition, significant operational savings from reduced water and sanitation utility charges can be achieved.

Compoloos are designed as ‘flat packs’, which enable them to be easily transported and assembled on site in 1 or 2 days. They are more cost-effective than waterborne sanitation and pit latrines. As they are made of readily available materials, Compoloos can be easily maintained locally. Compoloos come with operation manuals and training and can be installed singly, for instance at a household level, or in large numbers, for instance at a school or at a festival, park, or camp sites.

 

Recycling Trolley

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Most waste in South Africa ends up in landfill sites. This wastes precious materials that can be reused. Transporting large volumes of materials to landfill sites in distant locations also results in significant energy consumption and carbon emissions. Landfill sites also neutralise valuable land and can create a range of health hazards.

Effective recycling schemes can be used to address this situation and ensure that waste material is recycled and reused, rather than being wasted. Formal recycling schemes are still in their infancy in many areas of South Africa, however, as a result of the value of waste, informal recyclers can be found in many areas. This type of recycling can be dangerous and unhealthy and materials for recycling are transported along main roads on ad-hoc trolleys.

Gauge has developed a range of technologies and kits that aims to improve the sustainability performance of the built environment. Technology is designed to be easily and cost-effectively implemented in buildings and cities and suit a range of contexts. One of the technologies developed by Gauge is a robust multi-purpose trolley that can be used to support recycling.

The trolley has been designed to be low cost and can be hand-pushed or used as a cycle trailer. The trolley has tools which can be used to compact waste to enable large quantities of waste to be transported easily. The trolley is made of readily available materials and can be easily manufactured and maintained. It can be used to in neighbourhood recycling schemes as well as for general transportation of goods, such as fresh produce.

Low-Cost Self-Build Sustainable Housing

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Conventional housing in South African is not affordable for many people. Alternatives, such informal housing may be poorly constructed resulting in uncomfortable, and sometimes unhealthy, indoor environments. There is therefore a need for alternatives.

Gauge has developed a range of technology and kits to support sustainability in buildings and cities. Technologies are designed to be easy to assemble and are based on readily available local materials and components. One of the technologies that has been developed is a  low-cost, sustainable housing kit.

The low-cost sustainable housing kit is based on modular insulated panels that can be assembled to produce a small house. The modular approach enables housing to be easily added to over time, and as resources, allow. Panels made of grown materials come in a range of different types, enabling houses to be tailored to sites, budgets, and users. Assembly is easy and only requires basic skills and hand tools. A framed structural system allows construction on uneven or sloping ground enabling difficult sites to be used. A range of renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, composting toilets and grey water systems can be added to the basic housing kit to create a carbon and water neutral house.

Mosquito-Proofing Buildings

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Based on their work in developing pilot housing, Gauge was asked to submit proposals for pilot housing which investigated methods discouraging mosquito entry into buildings as a way of reducing malaria transmission. A literature review was carried out and came up with the following interesting findings.

Air movement

Mosquitoes are characterized as poor fliers and are negatively affected by flowing air (Service, 1980) Service (1980) finds that mosquitoes drastically reduce host seeking flights when wind speeds exceed 3km/hr. Résearch by Rogozi et al (2012) on the capturability of adult mosquitoes find that there is an inverse relationship between windspeeds and the number of mosquitoes caught. Hoffmann and Miller (2003) investigate the utility of wind in the suppression of mosquitoes and conclude that  ‘fan-generated’ wind can be an effective way of protecting humans from mosquitoes.

Height

Sleeping on a raised structure was a technique used in ancient Egypt to avoid mosquitoes (de Selincourt, 2002).  In research in Vietnam, Laderman (1975) found that hill people built their houses on stilts to avoid mosquitoes which seldom flew higher than 2 to 3 meters above ground level. Charlwood et al (2003) found that buildings built on legs off the ground had half the number of mosquitoes in them compared to buildings on ground level. Their research indicated that there could be an 18-fold difference in exposure to malaria vectors between houses built on the ground and on stilts 10m apart.

Plants

Sambali et al (2011) carried out research on the use of live plants as a means of reducing mosquito entry into housing in Tanzania. Their study showed that planting densely foliated Lantana Camara around houses reduced the presence of mosquitoes by 50% compared to houses without planting. They find that there is broad community acceptance of Lantana and that planting sufficient plants to achieve mosquito repellent for one home cost about 30c per person.

Seyoum, et al 2003 investigated the extent to which Ocimum americanum, Lantana camara and Lippia ukambensis repelled mosquitoes in buildings. Plants in pots were placed under eaves in buildings in Kenya and findings indicated that Ocimum americanum reduced mosquitoes in buildings by 37% and that Lantana camara reduced mosquitoes by 27% compared to buildings where there were no plants. Seyoum concludes that the use potted plants are a highly cost-effective means of achieving household protection against mosquitoes in buildings.

Projects based on this investigation have been proposed and involve the construction of simple housing types that can be used to assess the efficacy of different methods of repelling mosquitoes.

Integrating New Knowledge Areas

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Gauge has recently completed the Integrating New Knowledge Areas study. This explores how new thinking can be integrated into built environment professionals competencies. It analyses how changes such as technological advances, legislative changes and societal demands can be understood and translated into up-to-date, responsive professional practice. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes, tertiary education curriculum development, short courses and online portals are identified as suitable mechanisms to support this integration.

The study develops a number of proposals that can be adopted by built environment professional councils, universities, and governments to ensure that built environment professional capacity is able to meet emerging demands within the built environment.

Combat Grey for Climate Change

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There is an increasing concern about reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect as cities become warmer with climate change. Buildings, parking, and pavements, by capturing and storing heat, can result in temperatures within cities being 6 degrees C warmer than the surrounding countryside.

In Los Angeles, addressing this heat intensity has become a priority, with the mayor pledging to reduce average city temperatures. To achieve this, the city is painting its pavements gray to reduce heat absorption. Initial results appear promising with tests indicating that temperature reductions of 6 degrees C could be achieved.

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