Redesigning water solutions for remote communities
Process engineer Sachini De Silva has co-created a sustainable, off-grid solution to provide access to clean water in remote locations, with the potential to be scaled internationally to assist in agribusiness and disaster response.
Project Gilghi started as a conversation between a group of Australian engineers. With a goal to provide remote access to clean water, the idea was born: a containerised water treatment system that can produce up to 28 kilolitres of water per day using innovative and sustainable technology.
Gilghi, which means ‘place of water’ in the Barkindji Indigenous language, has been in development for the past five years and is a partnership between Aurecon, Ampcontrol and CPS National. Aurecon process engineer Sachini De Silva says Gilghi’s flexible, modular design and three-step water sanitisation system are what make the innovation unique.
Water is a precious resource, as we know, and something that most of us tend to take for granted.
Gilghi is housed neatly inside a shipping container and makes use of available solar power and a stand-alone hybrid power supply to operate. Water is fed in from sources, including bores, and stored in an inlet tank before passing through three stages of filtration treatment.
Adopting a ‘plug and play’ approach, Gilghi only requires truck transportation and a forklift to install. Its modular, containerised design means it can be easily applied in settings where a cost-effective water solution is required including areas experiencing drought, local agribusiness, oil, mining and gas sectors, as well as in disaster response efforts.
Since its installation in a remote Australian community, Gilghi has transformed the town’s supply of water for drinking and growing crops. The project has also delivered new training and employment opportunities by engaging local residents to operate and maintain the unit.
I really do hope that we're able to roll more units out to other communities in Australia and around the world. Projects like Gilghi are what we hope will make the world a better place.
Sachini and Gilghi co-creator Aurecon Design Director Julian Briggs believe Project Gilghi is only just the beginning, as it has the potential to be introduced in various locations and settings worldwide. Sachini and the team of engineers behind Project Gilghi have begun discussions with a number of international suppliers to help advance water solutions on a global scale.
Watch the video to learn more about Project Gilghi and how this sustainable water unit can benefit communities all over the world.
