—
The Roatan Bilingual School (locally known as ESBIR) on Roatan Island, off the coast of Honduras, has eager to learn students and beautiful surroundings. What it didn’t have was easy access to water – a problem now solved thanks to one 17 year-old teenager named William Jewell.
Thanks to his efforts, ESBIR is home to the first installation of a water creation technology delivering sustainable drinking water to the students: SOURCE Hydropanels. SOURCE Global is a public benefit corporation creating access to sustainably-created water through innovative technology, and this installation is a first in the Central American country.
The panels, ten total and installed on school property, are expected to produce approximately 50-60 liters of high-quality drinking water per day.
How It Started
Jewell and his family visited Roatan after experiencing the isolation and emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there, he learned nearly all the drinking water on the island of Roatan is contaminated.
According to a 2019 National Survey of Demography and Health, only 50% of households in Honduras have access to quality water free of E. coli. Given this reality, residents rely heavily on single-use plastic bottles for drinking water. Jewell thought there had to be a better way.
A group of students from The Roatan Bilingual School, Honduras, celebrate their new access to fresh drinking water, thanks to William Jewell and SOURCE Global PBC.
After his trip, Jewell started researching potential solutions. His father, being familiar with SOURCE through a friend, suggested that Jewell do some research to see if hydropanels would be a good fit. Jewell discovered they’re an ideal option given Roatan’s tropical climate and the fact that hydro panels don’t need existing infrastructure to produce high-quality drinking water.
Requiring only sunlight and moisture that’s in the air we breathe, SOURCE Hydropanels use solar energy to power fans that draw in air and push it through water-absorbing material. This process passively turns water vapor into drinking water that’s mineralized for health and taste and kept clean in a storage tank until it’s needed.
“I’m fascinated by the technology, and I think it’s cool that hydro panels don’t need electricity to make water,” Jewell said. “This is the only planet we have, and I feel like it’s going to be up to my generation to make a difference.”
Jewell’s next order of business was finding an ideal location for the hydropanel installation. When he contacted ESBIR, he discovered administrators shared his vision for a more sustainable drinking water solution. The hydropanel installation has decreased the school’s reliance on bottled water and administrators are thrilled.
“Before the hydro panels were installed, we used to buy 5-gallon water bottles so students could fill their cups at dispensers. The other option was for students to buy bottled water from the cafeteria. Both options are expensive for the school and the kids,” said Administrator and Academic Coordinator, Maria del Carmen Enriquez. “Having fresh water available at all times is a great improvement for everyone at the school and will allow us to buy more school supplies with the money we used to spend on buying drinking water.”
William Jewell, spearheading clean wáter for Roatan through the Roatan Water Project and SOURCE Global, PBC.
In an effort to raise awareness about the water challenges on Roatan, Jewell is sharing details about the project here. “I hope this is just the beginning,” he said. There’s a lot of need on Roatan but this is a good first step.”
A good first step – and a good deed done well!
About Roatan Bilingual School
Roatan Bilingual School (ESBIR) is a private educational institution founded in 1983 by Cheryl Warren de Galindo, Mireya Warren, Elsa Hernández and Leticia Monterroso. With 300 students in pre-school through 11th grade, ESBIR’S academic curriculum prepares students for college or university, instills a values philosophy, helps students learn and use modern technology responsibly, and encourages respect for other cultures while honoring their own cultural heritage.
About SOURCE Global, PBC
SOURCE Global PBC, A Public Benefit Corporation, exists to “perfect water for every person, every place.” The company’s SOURCE® Hydropanels create drinking water using sunlight and air as the only inputs, putting the power of safe, high-quality water production into the hands of every person in nearly every climate and corner of the world. The infrastructure-free nature of Hydropanels means that the company has been providing off-grid, renewable drinking water to communities, homes, corporate campuses, hotels, islands without infrastructure, remote work sites, and other applications, in more than 50 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Newsweek Magazine named SOURCE Founder and CEO Dr. Cody Friesen, one of 13 “Tech Innovators Helping to Save the Planet.” SOURCE® is a registered trademark of SOURCE Global, PBC.
—
This content is brought to you by Shahbaz Ahmed
Photos provided by the author.