Project Splash

This project commenced in 2008 as a joint endeavour between the RSC and Unilever plc.  

Its main objective is to examine water management in peri-urban communities of South Africa and Kenya. 

Both the RSC and Unilever bring unique but complementary goals to project Splash.  

 

The Grey Water project launch at Unilever South Africa, Durban, July 1st 2009

For Unilever, the key aim is to understand how increasing pressures on the supply of fresh water in Africa will affect the nature and form of home care products and consequent consumer demand. 

Meanwhile, the RSC’s key objective (in line with its mission to advance the chemical sciences) is  to demonstrate how the chemical sciences provides innovative, cost-effective, sustainable solutions to problems exacerbated by the growing fresh water supply shortages in Africa.  

Current Splash Projects

Under the umbrella of project Splash, there are three projects currently underway in both the peri-urban township communities of South Africa (near Cape Town and Durban) and Kenya (in and around Nairobi). These are:

• Improving our understanding and exploiting opportunities in the use of ’domestic grey water’ (dish, sink, shower, laundry waste water) to irrigate salt- tolerant crops  
  Preliminary studies have already shown that spinach and green pepper plants irrigated with greywater had a significantly higher growth rate compared to plants irrigated with tap water. In addition, the long term effects of grey water irrigation on soil composition, texture and microbial properties will also be examined.   
• Designing and producing personal wash products suitable for water-stressed areas
  By combining chemical and associated technologies, together with detailed, related consumer studies in various seriously water stressed localities within Nairobi, novel products are being designed that will require less water, be cost effective and will have consumer appeal. 
• Providing hot water with the use of solar water technologies
  Installing cost-effective hot water heaters is a more economical way for  township dwellers to obtain hot water, effectively raising their quality of life.     

The projects are being carried out with the help of the Sustainability Institute at Stellenbosch University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban.  Although project Splash is an initial two-year venture between the RSC and Unilever, there is anticipation of expanding Splash in the near future.

Project Leaders

• Rodney Townsend, RSC Project Leader
• Chris Loxley, Unilever Project Leader, Unilever Port Sunlight, UK
• Alejandra Palermo, RSC  
• Bob Crawford, Unilever, UK
• Louise Duys, Unilever, South Africa