Scoping Report
Aditya Adhikari
A1969238
March 2025
Word Count: 1150
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Contents
Introduction
…………………………………………………………………………1
Client Needs
………………………………………………………………………..2
Design Considerations and Assumptions ………………………………….3
Project Planning and Activity
…………………………………………………..4
Conclusion
………………………………………………………………………….5
References
…………………………………………………………………………..5
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EBW challenge 2025
1.) Introduction and Project Scope
This report will outline the design brief for the Engineers Without Boarders (EBW) challenge.
The project will be centered around the development of the water and sanitation category,
with the aim to develop water quality and quantity, water sources and treatment, and
wastewater. The needs, values and priorities of the client and key stakeholders will be
discussed, as well as the design considerations and assumptions that arise from the
specified client needs. Additional research regarding the design context will also be
presented under the three subcategories: alternating water harvesting and treatment, low
resources desalination and grey water management.
Amongst a cluster of islands in the north-west Torres Strait approximately 150 kilometer
north of the Australian mainland and 4 kilometers south of the International Maritime border
with Papua New Guinea is the respective land and water of the Saibai Island (Engineers
Without Boarders, 2025). Saibai Island faces complex challenges in Alternative water
harvesting and treatment, Low resources desalination and grey water management. For this
reason, the Saibailgaw people have partnered with Engineers Without Boarders to seek
modern solutions within the country (Engineers Without Boarders, 2025). The objective of
this report is to investigate alternative affordable, pioneering rainwater harvesting techniques
to provide greater access to water supply.
2.) Client Needs
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The water and sanitation problems on Saibai Island are determined by their use of rainwater
along with potential water pollution risks along with high desalination power needs and
environmental issues from grey water management. The community requires innovative
affordable remedies to enhance water quality and develop sustainable desalination methods
as well as wastewater management protocols to fulfill upcoming governance standards. The
sewer network faces an infrastructure vulnerability because saltwater intrusion requires the
implementation of stronger protection systems. The solution demands multiple interventions
such as supply-side enhancements together with demand-side efficiency improvements and
sustainable water treatment system adoption.
Summarise the Client’s Needs:
The Water Quality Improvement effort should fulfill turbidity guidelines (1 NTU maximum by
July 2025) while improving treatment processes.
Alternative Water Harvesting: Develop cost-effective rainwater harvesting and filtration
solutions.
The desalination operation should shift away from diesel fuels by investigating low-energy
sustainable solutions and solar technologies.
Grey Water Management requires the establishment of affordable yet environmentally
beneficial systems for treating grey water.
The infrastructure should minimize saltwater entry into pipes and improve wastewater
processing performance.
The effective management of water demands better leak detection methods in combination
with behavior-based campaigns and combined pumping systems for improved accessibility
along with sustainability of water resources.
3.) Design Considerations and Assumptions
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Saibai Island faces problems with its water supply and sanitation which need effective
sustainable design solutions. Safe drinking water for Saibai Island comes from rainfall but
the island must use storage spaces alongside treatment systems because water levels
change from season to season. The implementation of small-scale desalination units runs
through emergency situations yet requires fuel from diesel generators, which drives up
expenses and results in high maintenance costs. TSIRC regulations scheduled for 2025 will
specify turbidity levels at or below 1 NTU yet the current filtration system built with 5-micron
and 1-micron media filters may not meet these requirements so alternative improved
disinfection methods are needed.
The 3.2 km gravity-fed sewer system experiences saltwater infiltration risk because its
inspection holes are present at locations below the highest astronomical tide (HAT) mark.
The wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) maintains its remote design functions because it
needs power from sustainable solutions which require minimal upkeep. The disposal of grey
water requires attention due to high installation costs which make trenches inappropriate for
difficult terrain.
Energy-efficient operations become vital within desalination systems since they require
strong power inputs. Solar-operated desalination technologies and low-energy methods can
promote the reduction of diesel consumption at coastal sites. The sustainable management
of grey water can be achieved through built-water systems together with bio-filtration
technology. The implementation of water solutions requires maximising efficiency
approaches by improving water supply availability as well as decreasing water consumption
and waste creation.
The design team operates under several base conditions including variable water needs and
rainwater dominance as well as restricted access to skilled personnel thus requiring robust
technologies that are simple to operate locally. TSIRC regulations must guide all designs in
addition to requiring minimal environmental harm and enduring sustainability benefits for the
community.
4.) Project Planning and Activity
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Saibai Island requires a properly organized project system that aims to resolve water and
sanitation issues. The project requires directed investigation along with resource planning as
well as budget administration and complete design assessment and final evaluation
documentation and open presentations to deliver solutions.
Research and Planning
Research needs to develop budget-friendly methods for rainwater collection because it must
determine water purification techniques that produce drinkable rainwater. The project will
evaluate system limitations together with alternative energy-efficient methods of
desalination. Different approaches must be developed to manage grey water.
Project Budget
The budgetary plan should place emphasis on cost efficiency when implementing water
harvesting and grey water management systems. The assessment should evaluate the
budgetary expenses and operational costs of different desalination techniques together with
installation requirements and service distributions. Project budget needs to include potential
cost reduction possibilities developed from alternative approaches of current operations.
Design Evaluation Report
The evaluation should measure solution effectiveness regarding their ability to attain turbidity
levels below 1 NTU. The evaluation method should monitor both operational efficiencies
along with environmental effects, especially in the context of grey water systems. The
assessment needs to include a feasibility check together with practicality testing.
Final Design Report
The selected solution needs complete documentation through specifications together with
drawings in this report. Design goals together with scope and outcomes need to be
described while design decision justifications need to be provided within the document. An
implementation/maintenance plan is essential. The document needs to include
comprehensive information about water harvesting techniques as well as treatments and
desalination processes (if used) and grey water management systems with performance
forecasts.
Oral Presentation
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During the presentation the team needs to clearly show stakeholders how the project
reaches its objectives through methods and results and delivers its recommended solutions.
All essential benefits of the design should be explained in a short and visually supported
manner during the presentation. The presenters will need to respond to audience inquiries
and modify their presentation by emphasizing how the project affects water and sanitation.
5.) Conclusion
A successful initiative addressing water and sanitation problems on Saibai Island requires
proper project organization. The development of affordable solutions requires extensive
research and planning when focused on enhancing water quality and alternative desalination
methods and improving grey water management practices. Budgeting carefully creates
financial sustainability alongside an evaluation process which evaluates solutions regarding
effectiveness and practicality and environmental impact. The project reaches its conclusion
through a report that outlines the selected solution as well as an organized presentation of
project goals and results for stakeholders. The development of sustainable solutions
becomes possible when these key elements receive proper attention because they enable
safe water and sanitation access for the community.
6). References
1. Engineers Without Borders. “Introduction to Saibai Island.” EWB Challenge, 2025,
ewbchallenge.org/challenge/saibai-island-tsirc/introduction-to-saibai-island/. Accessed 15
Mar. 2025.
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