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Dependable, clean water for the low-income post-apartheid township in Johannesburg Image
Case Study

Dependable, clean water for the low-income post-apartheid township in Johannesburg

  • Site Name

    Musenga Vhadzimu Primary School

  • Location

    Diepsloot Township, Johannesburg, South Africa

Map
Challenge

The Angel Rock Project South Africa is a nonprofit organization working to bring much-needed support to the community of Diesploot, a low-income post-apartheid township in Johannesburg. Recognizing the need at Musenga Vhadzimu Primary School in Diesploot, Angel Rock sought to provide clean, reliable drinking water for students, staff and community grandmothers on the school’s campus.

A lack of dependable water infrastructure in post-apartheid townships leave community members dependent on unreliable methods of water collection like boreholes and rainwater tanks. Coupled with the challenges brought on by climate change like unpredictable rainfall and prolonged drought, the community needed an off-grid, totally renewable method of supplying drinking water.

SOURCE Project

In partnership with Angel Rock South Africa and SOURCE, Musenga Vhadzimu Primary School installed 45 Hydropanels as the first phase of their school-wide clean drinking water initiative. Today, students and grandmothers from grades 1-3 live with the peace of mind that their drinking water supply is clean, resilient and easily accessible from SOURCE taps placed around the school. Moving forward, the installation will be scaled to meet the needs of the entire campus.

 

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Hydropanel General Installation Requirements:

  • Roof mounted hydropanels must be at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from the edge of any structure.
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  • Adequate structural integrity of the roof is required. Do not install on a roof that is damaged or otherwise insufficient to hold the weight and wind loads of the hydropanel.
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  • Consider whether there is space for a crane to set up and lift the hydropanels to their mounting location.
  • Ground locations should be firm, level, and evenly composed. The hydropanel can be placed on blocks, concrete, or mounted to lumber to provide a stable base to sit on.
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  • Consider factors like soil composition, and how to manage erosion or plant growth over time.
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  • Avoid installing the hydropanel where they may be wetted from irrigation sprinklers.
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  • Ensure the hydropanel is raised above the specified flood plain.
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  • Hydropanel should be anchored to the ground or sufficiently ballasted to prevent movement or damage from high winds.

Hydropanel General Installation Requirements:

  • Sunny mounting location – The SOURCE Hydropanel works best in full sun. Unobstructed sunlight required at least 5 hours per day. Avoid placing under shading objects such as trees, buildings, etc.
  • 4 x 6 foot (1.2 x 1.8 meters) mounting area per Hydropanel.
  • Minimum clearance of 1ft (30cm) in front of and behind the panels to allow access for service.
  • Minimum 3 inches (8 cm) between hydropanels from side to side within an array.
  • SOURCE Hydropanels must be installed at least 15 feet (5 meters) away from windows and should be positioned considering hydropanel sound with respect to living spaces.
  • SOURCE Hydropanels must be level from side-to-side with a maximum deviation of 20mm.
  • Hydropanel must be South Facing (180°) for locations in the Northern Hemisphere, or North facing (0°) for locations in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • The installation surface must be level. For example, a flat roof, or level ground.

Roof Mount Requirements:

  • Roof mounted hydropanels must be at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from the edge of any structure.
  • Adequate structural integrity of the roof is required. Do not install on a roof that is damaged or otherwise insufficient to hold the weight and wind loads of the hydropanel.
  • Consider whether there is space for a crane to set up and lift the hydropanels to their mounting location.

Ground Mount Requirements:

  • Ground locations should be firm, level, and evenly composed. The hydropanel can be placed on blocks, concrete, or mounted to lumber to provide a stable base to sit on.
  • Consider factors like soil composition, and how to manage erosion or plant growth over time.
  • Avoid installing the hydropanel where they may be wetted from irrigation sprinklers.
  • Ensure the hydropanel is raised above the specified flood plain.
  • Hydropanel should be anchored to the ground or sufficiently ballasted to prevent movement or damage from high winds.

Hydropanel Calculator

The amount of water you consume will determine how many panels you’ll need and the size of tanks we recommend. Use our calculator below for our panel and tank recommendation.

Each panel produces on average 180 bottles per month (16.9 oz bottles). For a more accurate estimation based on your location use this tool.

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