02 Feb 2018 Cape Town’s Day Zero: SA’s bottled water industry gears up to help
For Capetonians there is only one topic of conversation: water. The nightmare scenario of Day Zero, when the municipal taps are turned off in April, is ever more likely. SA’s bottled water industry is rising to the crisis, reports SANBWA.
SANBWA – The SA Natural Bottled Water Association – puts out a monthly newsletter, and this is what its CEO, Charlotte Metcalf, reported in her latest missive this week.
“Over the last 10 working days, the SANBWA office has been inundated with requests for (a) donations and (b) comment on issues plaguing the Cape’s collective mind.
“With respect to donations, we’ve suggested that our members work with organisations like Gift of the Givers and Water Shortage SA.
“The former always has well thought-through plans that it implements quietly and effectively to make a real difference where it matters, and the latter because it is planning to supply water to retirement centres and other institutions that will not be able to go and stand in line for their daily quota of water.
“In conjunction with disaster management, WSSA has established that there are 80 registered retirement centres in Cape Town with an average of 100 residents a centre plus another 4000 residents in institutions that might not be registered.
“It therefore needs 60 000l of water a day from day zero till we have enough water to switch the water back on. If you can assist, Greg Pillay is your contact at the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre on 021 597 5009 or you can visit the website as well as Facebook.
“With respect to the requests for comment and information from the media, both our chairman, John Weaver, and I have been very busy; conducting interviews and working with our PR consultancy to provide written answers to requests.”
Below is a taste of the fruits of their labours – some of the many stories and insights around the Cape water crisis:
City of Cape Town set to reach out to the bottled water industry
http://allafrica.com/stories/201801250109.html
Cape Town retailers prepare for water stockpiling ahead of day zero
https://www.supermarket.co.za/news-article.asp?ID=7387&CatTags=9-Supplier+news
https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Droogte/waterpeiling-bottelnekke-by-winkels-20180127
Will bottled water prices soar in Western Cape?
Cape Town Water Crisis Coalition calls for ban of local water bottling plants
Cape Town Water Crisis Coalition ban on bottled water ‘ill-conceived’
http://ramify.biz/2018/01/30/cape-town-water-crisis-coalition-ban-on-bottled-water-ill-conceived/
How you can be sure water is safe to drink after Day Zero
http://untoldafrica.com/wwfs-wednesday-water-file-no-3-how-to-secure-safe-drinking-water/
A water hero
Amid much ugly carping, finger-pointing and politicking that is surrounding the crisis, Metcalf goes on to laud the efforts of Aquellé MD, Arno Stegen, who has undertaken the transport of over 804 000 litres from its Kranskop source in KZN to support its Franschhoek facility, which is operating at maximum capacity to meet consumer demand.
It has also donated 30,000 litres of bottled water for the needy, delivered to WSSA – in the main picture above, Arno hands his completed paperwork to warehouse manager, Gladson Songelwa.
aQuellé delivers water aid to desolate Cape Town
https://mypr.co.za/aquelle-md-delivers-water-aid-to-crisis-hit-cape/
https://www.supermarket.co.za/news-article.asp?ID=7391&CatTags=20-Social+Responsibility