Gelvenor Scoops International IFF Innovation Award.
The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) recently named Gelvenor Textiles as the 2016 IFF Innovation Award winner for the development of microfiltration fabric component in the VulAmanz Water Systems Rural Water Filter (VA-RWF); a product which is making a real splash in the fight for clean drinking water in rural South Africa.
Figure 1: Poor quality water is a daily struggle for many South Africans
Gelvenor Textiles identified an opportunity to develop fabric technology which could enhance the effectiveness of a non-electric water filtration prototype pioneered by VulAmanz Water Systems called the VA-RWF. Gelvenor Textiles, in conjunction with the Water Research Commission (WRC) and Stellenbosch University, sought to address an ongoing barrier to health and development in rural South African areas – the lack of clean drinking water. To combat this crisis, Gelvenor and their partners developed a woven polyester microfiltration fabric which removes suspended solids, colloids and bacteria from the water while offering high water flow rates of 25 litres of clean water per hour. This fabric technology was then incorporated by VulAmanz Water Systems into their VA-RWF prototype to create a water purification product which is easy to use and requires no electrical power to operate.
Figure 2: VA-RWF in a Limpopo home
Water treatment and sanitation are challenges which need to be addressed, both in South Africa and around the world. This innovative fabric solution from Gelvenor and their partners has enabled VulAmanz Water Systems to do exactly that. The VA-RWF is already having a positive impact on the communities where it has been introduced and as a result has been fully recognised by the IFF.
Figure 3: VA-RWF introduced into Limpopo community