The Atlantis Special Economic Zone Company (ASEZCo) recently embarked on a project, in partnership with the Lulalab Foundation, to provide a much-needed water and sanitation solution to informal dwellings. Through the project solar-powered geysers will be installed in 100 homes in the informal settlements of Witsand and Pella. These installations will provide each benefitting household with running warm water, easily accessible from a tap. Another element of this exciting innovation is that the geysers are made from recycled plastic. The outer shell and casing are made for purpose from recycled PET, with five empty two-litre cooldrink bottles inside, which heat the water. This is then attached to a 50-litre drum mounted on the roof of a house. This way the gravity-fed geyser requires no electricity or switches to provide warm water straight from a tap. The project has also created employment opportunities for three locals for the next 12 months. These entrepreneurs (pictured left) cycle their customized bicycles to their installations daily. During the project, they assemble and install the geysers, as well as continuous maintenance work. “There is no better way of demonstrating green technology, than seeing it in action. Through this project, my community can see how these clever innovations can deliver high impact, providing services in a somewhat alternative way,” says Charlotte Perrang, Community Integration Administrator for the ASEZCo. Judging by the buzz on the streets generated by the installation bikes with their trailers and the handy and helpful entrepreneurs to support this project, it may well be the beginning of many wonderful installations and hopefully, other communities reached soon too