Dr. Ruth Huwe, a professor at the\u00a0Foster School of Business<\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0University of Washington<\/a>, recently taught a course, Organizational Behavior: Construction Management.\u00a0 This course included case studies for construction management projects in Africa. The culmination of this course included a final project where they sought to find solutions that would assist with projects related to schools, women’s cooperatives and water management in rural villages near the Toubkal National Park in Morocco.<\/p>\n
Students not only presented the option they believed to be the most feasible, but also gave descriptions of alternative solutions. Specifically, one group chose a\u00a0VillageWater 850 UVX<\/a>\u00a0as the solution to water treatment, citing that it was completely self-contained, solar-powered with an integrated battery backup, quick and easy to assemble, and half the cost of a well. In addition, the group included a breakdown of the alternatives, but having considered the environment and culture of Tassa Ouirgane, the group concluded that given cost, maintenance, feasibility, and effectiveness, the 850 UVX had the highest payoff with the easiest feasibility, according to the GE Model mapping of solutions.<\/p>\n
Some of the clean drinking water alternatives suggested by this group and others included\u00a0Biosand<\/a>,\u00a0chlorine<\/a>,\u00a0Ultraviolet Disinfection<\/a>,\u00a0Nanoparticle filtration<\/a>,\u00a0Life Sack<\/a>,\u00a0Solar Ball<\/a>,\u00a0Ceramic Filtration<\/a>, and even a\u00a0water purifying bicycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n