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7th January 2015
08:52pm GMT
The introduction of the water charges has been one of the most divisive and highly-criticised measures in recent Irish society.
But, two students from Desmond College in Limerick have created a device that has the potential to take some of the financial strain off farmers' shoulders.
JOE was at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition this afternoon, where we caught up with Eoghan McMahon and Shane Lee, whose filtration device could save Irish cattle farmers a lot of money.
How does their machine work? Essentially it recycles the water that farmers currently use when cleaning their milking machines.
The 'dirty' water from maintaining this essential equipment is then funnelled into their invention (see below) where it's treated via a UV light to kill bacteria, before being channelled through multiple layers of sand, gravel and charcoal to enhance its purity.
While we won't exactly be offering this water to the in-laws when they come around to visit, it's perfectly suitable for livestock to drink thus avoiding waste.
The two lads hail from farming backgrounds in Newcastle West and they opened our eyes because we had no idea that almost 22,000 litres of water is wasted on a farm during the year when it comes to the maintenance of milking machines.
Irish people haven't been billed just yet for their water usage, but this innovative design has the potential to save money. What farmers wouldn't be interested in that? Maybe these lads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SaTKdTGnqUEoghan and Shane expressed their gratitude to those people who gave them some help along the way.
The two students received guidance from local engineer Darren Moloney when it came to devising the mechanics of the machine, which passed its test at Dundalk IT with flying colours and has since been approved for usage.
The whole purifying process only takes 15-20 minutes for about 7 litres of water, however the speed, volume and time can vary depending on the size of the machine that's required.
The two students have already had some interest from local Limerick farmers and their prototype can be adjusted in scale and size to suit specific demands.
The creative inventors suggest that up to 115 litres can be processed at a given time. We imagine that this is what Father Jack would make of this news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vlOhj4eTpAWhat's truly remarkable is that this device only took two weeks to develop, from initial concept to finished article, and the materials cost just €50, excluding the UV light, which was generously provided by local entrepreneur and tech-lover Patrick Downes.
We think that Eoghan and Shane might be making an appearance at the patent office in the next few weeks and we wish them the best of luck.
You may be hearing their names or using their machine in the near future.
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