The finals of the SAICE-DFC Water 'Centenary Schools Water Competition' 2009 will again be held at:
Venue: Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, Newtown, Johannesburg
Date: Friday, 24 July 2009
The good news is that DFC Water (Pty) Ltd is again on board as major sponsor of our competition! DFC Water (Pty) Ltd has saved the competition last year by coming on board as sponsor for 2008! Their sponsorship ensured the successful outcome of our wonderful competition.
All Branches not on board yet, there is time enough to join us! So please go MAD and Make A Difference to the lives of learners where YOU are! There is still time to change the lives of learners who would otherwise perhaps never have had the opportunity to be in the running for an exceptional experience in the big city and of perhaps winning a part of the more than R20 000-00 (in total) for the three top teams! The winning schools get substantial prize-money and as from 2008 the educators of these teams are also in the running for a prize of R1 000-00 as well.
SAICE’s two competitions, the SAICE-DFC Water ‘Centenary Schools Water Competition’, where learners have to design and construct a water distribution network system, and the SAICE International Bridge Building Competition have received an award from the Council for the Built Environment - 2008 Award for 'Exemplary Youth and Skills Intervention' and 'For contribution to the Built Environment’.
As in previous years teams will arrive the day before the finals, i.e. on Thursday, 23 July 2009 and they will be accommodated in a good hotel.
TEAMS: As in the past we aim to involve learners from Grade 9 to 11 as the Grade 12s are most probably preparing for their matriculation examinations. Each team has to consist of THREE learners only.
The regional results have to be finalised by Friday, 19 June 2009. However, if I could have the results earlier we would be able to negotiate better flight prices, which as you know, are very costly.
For more information contact Marie Ashpole at SAICE National Office on +27 (0)11 805 5947 or on mashpole@saice.org.za
Click here to download the letter of inviation
SAICE-DFC Water ‘Centenary Schools Water Competition’ 2008
The finals of the SAICE-DFC Water ‘Centenary Schools Water Competition’ 2008 was held at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg recently.
The Brackenfell High School, Cape Town, came first with 30 penalty points, the best result since the start of the competition in 2003. Second was the team from Lofentse Girls High School in Soweto with 260 points and in the third spot the Cape Academy of Maths, Science and Technology with 280 penalty points. The prize-money for the winning teams, their schools and teachers amounted to R23 000-00.
Winners of the regional competitions came to Johannesburg from as far as Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Richards Bay and Upington to battle the local winners for top honours. Learners were flown to Johannesburg and accommodated in a good hotel - an experience not to be forgotten that these young people and some of the educators! For most this was their first experience of the ‘big city’. The teams were also taken to Montecasino, with its distinctive architecture, for dinner. All of this was made possible through the generous sponsorship of DFC Water (Pty) Ltd.
Both the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) and Rand Water celebrated a hundred years of existence in 2003 and as part of their centenary celebrations they launched this joint competition for high school learners devised by Professor Kobus van Zyl and his students at the University of Johannesburg. Since then the competition had been streamlined and has gained momentum in application, such as team building and demonstrations on ‘technovation’ days!
Water distribution systems are important to supply safe and clean drinking water to people. The teams are tasked to design a model water distribution network to distribute three litres of water equally between three points on the grid using two different diameter pipes and connection piesces. They are then judged on how well they execute the task – working on a penalty points system. They are allowed three tries in a period of about an hour. This competition exposes learners to the practical application of processes that influence their daily lives, which is how water gets to their homes. They are made aware of the intricacies involved in the design of water distribution networks and the actual water delivery to households. As part of the competition the water cycle is explained to the learners. Issues such as why we have to pay for water, explaining the building of dams, distribution of water through water boards to municipalities and then to users, as well as the conservation of our water resources are discussed.
The competition creates awareness regarding the issues surrounding water in South Africa. It spreads the message that water is a precious commodity, which should be conserved, recycled and re-used. Through this competition SAICE and DFC Water (Pty) Ltd, the current sponsor, took the responsibility of spreading the news that water should be used wisely, that infrastructure should be maintained and that new infrastructure should be created to provide potable water to those without water.
This competition strengthens government’s initiatives aimed at encouraging learners to take Mathematics and Science at school and to follow a career as a science or civil engineering professional.
for more information contact Marie Ashpole, at SAICE, Tel: +27 (0)11 805 5947 or E-mail: mashpole@saice.org.za
Photos from left:
- Debbie Besseling, adjudicator, observing the hard-working Eqinisweni High
- The winning team of Brackenfell high School with Brian Holford of DFC Water
- Kim Mather, a civil engineering technician from Pietermaritzburg, entertaining the teams and guests