UGM SCS-CEL students who conducted service in Gergunung Village, Klaten Regency, Central Java, make a solar handwashing device with a water purification system. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the innovation of this appropriate tool is believed to be very useful for preventing the transmission of Covid-19 in dry areas where electricity is not available.
The handover of the equipment was carried out at the Gergunung Sub-District Office on Tuesday (11/8). The solar handwashing equipment was handed over by dr. Tri Baskoro Tunggul Satoto, M.Sc., Ph.D, as the Field Supervisor, accompanied by the person in charge of the UGM SCS-CEL work program, Ivan Fabriano Syahputra, and received by the Gergunung Village Head, Sugeng Slameta.
Tri Baskoro said that this solar handwashing device supported the government’s efforts to invite the public to wash their hands with soap to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 during the current pandemic. The innovations carried out by UGM SCS-CEL UGM students in Gergunung, Klaten Regency were motivated by the condition that several regions in Indonesia were found to not have sufficient clean water supplies.
In addition, some areas have limited electricity resources, causing problems in the distribution of groundwater for water pumps. Therefore, the manufacture of solar handwashing equipment with a clean water purification system is expected to be a means for the community to keep washing their hands in areas where clean water is difficult and limited in electricity resources.
“The main function of this tool is to provide handwashing facilities for the community to support the government’s recommendation for hand washing,” said Tri Baskoro on Thursday (13/8) at UGM Campus.
He explained that the faucet system was operated using the feet to reduce direct contact between the hands and the faucet handles. It is intended to minimize the risk of spreading the virus through the touch of hands and tools.
In addition, a clean water purification system based on fibers and gravel filters is also applied to this tool so that the use of dirty water from washing hands can be filtered again after filtering. This water purification system can save the use of clean water so that it can be used in areas that lack clean water.
He explained that the water purification system is distributed using a water pump that uses solar power in this tool. Solar energy is used because solar resources are renewable resources and are abundantly available in Indonesia.
“This is what makes this tool besides being environmentally friendly, it can also be more flexible to be placed in areas that are difficult or have limited electrical resources,” he explained.
The person in charge of the UGM SCS-CEL work program, Ivan Fabriano Syahputra, added that making the tools took 35 days, from 7 July to 10 August 2020. The UGM SCS-CEL in Gergunung Village, Klaten involved 25 students from various departments.
According to Ivan, using the handwashing device with this purification system, water can be more efficient because it can be recirculated repeatedly. Meanwhile, the solar power system is used to operate the water pump, which is used to circulate the purification.
“There are still limitations in having a power source in several regions, so solar power is an option,” he explained.
In addition to making handwashing tools with a water purification system, Ivan said that the work program of UGM SCS-CEL in Gergunung Village is about efforts to create a dengue virus and Covid-19 alert village. Meanwhile, individual programs are more focused on community independence to prevent and overcome these two issues.
“For the results of our real work lectures, you can see on YouTube KKN-PPM UGM Gergunung,” he added.
