Rotary needs your help to save your water
By throwing in the weight of Rotary, an organisation that has for 114 years been addressing social ills and challenges such as polio, Derek Fox believes with the right transparent approach something can be done to bring a change to the metro’s water.
Derek Fox, president of the Boksburg Rotary Club, is calling on businesses and individuals to support the Save our Water (SOW) project.
According to Fox, this is an initiative that has been recently launched by the Rotary Club of Boksburg, with the intention of setting up a water fund.
“Water is our life source and it impacts us all. They say the next great war will be over water, and you have to agree. Yet, so often we take it for granted that there will be running water when we open the tap and that the water is even drinkable,” said Fox.
Fox, for years, was part of the Boksburg Lake Forum, yet it was disbanded, according to Fox, due to a lack of political will.
For this reason Fox no longer seeks the help of government, but rather seeks the assistance of businesses to drive this project that will address a dire issue impacting all involved.
He points out that Ekurhuleni sits with around 400 dams and lakes, and most of them are in need of remediation.
He stressed urgent attention needs to be given to the treatment of water in the informal settlements, especially when it comes to the ablution facilities.
“Consider for example how many of these settlements still have pit latrines, and beneath these latrines is a huge build of solids. This also poses dangers for children who can fall into these latrines.
“There are, however, means and ways to effectively treat such a solid build-up which will make the settlement cleaner and safer.
“Further to addressing the water issue in Ekurhuleni, we need to address the water from the source to the water course. Therefore we need to also look at treating water from when it begins to flow away from a residential or a business property.
“Water flows through a pipe and such pipes get clogged with fats, oils, grease and soaps. If you therefore deal with water from the source by introducing effective treatment then you also deal with these pollutants.
“Water that runs to the sewerage plants are already much cleaner. Remember these plants work on the principle of flocculation, which is nothing more than the destabilisation of colloidal particles brought about by the addition of a chemical reagent.
“We already have a partner on board who can rather remediate water without going the route of flocculation.”
According to Fox, this same water expert has for years proposed alternative plans of dealing with toxic and polluted water, yet the metro has not heeded his expertise, despite the product being Internationally recognised with United Nations endorsement.
Fox highlights that the SOW project will be entirely non-political. “It is time that we as citizens of this metro take hands and make a difference.
“We are, therefore, looking for anyone who wishes to donate to the cause through financial means or who has well-established and researched ideas and concepts on how we can address the water issue.
“For now we will only be focusing on Ekurhuleni. This will be a community project administered by Rotary where 100 per cent of funds raised will be utilised for the project, so we will run this project with complete transparency.”
Banking details for SOW are FNB North Rand Road, account 62807884590, branch code 253605. Beneficiary is SAVE OUR WATER. For more information phone Fox on 082 886 0651.
ALSO READ:
Taking hands to conserve water
Woolworths teach learners about water conservation
FOLLOW US:
For more #hyperlocal news at your fingertips, visit Benoni City Times, Springs Advertiser, Brakpan Herald, African Reporter and Kathorus Mail
