R.I. District 3450 – Drinking water system for 94 schools in China – 2011


Water Project in China ai
ENG

In 2011, Rotary District 3450, covering Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, and Guangdong province, launched a project to provide clean drinking water to 94 public schools in Weinan, Shaanxi province. The region faced severe water pollution, and the initiative installed SkyHydrants, passive membrane filtration systems by the SkyJuice Foundation, offering chemical-free water without electricity. Serving approximately 300,000 students, the $350,000 pilot project was led by District Governor David Harilela near Xi’an. Over 200 Rotarians from 100+ clubs in 13 districts participated. Collaboration with educators ensured proper training for school staff to maintain the filters. The project aims to double school coverage through a partnership with an Australian NGO, addressing China’s critical water safety issues as much of its underground and surface water is unsafe for human contact.

PTG

Em 2011, o Distrito 3450 do Rotary, abrangendo Hong Kong, Macau, Mongólia e a província de Guangdong, iniciou um projeto para fornecer água potável limpa a 94 escolas públicas em Weinan, província de Shaanxi. A região sofria com grave poluição da água, e a iniciativa instalou SkyHydrants, sistemas de filtração passiva da SkyJuice Foundation que oferecem água livre de químicos sem uso de eletricidade. Atendendo cerca de 300.000 estudantes, o projeto piloto de 350.000 dólares foi liderado pelo Governador Distrital David Harilela, nas proximidades de Xi’an. Mais de 200 rotarianos de mais de 100 clubes em 13 distritos participaram. A colaboração com educadores garantiu o treinamento adequado dos funcionários escolares para manutenção dos filtros. O projeto pretende dobrar o número de escolas atendidas através da parceria com uma ONG australiana, enfrentando os críticos problemas de segurança hídrica da China, onde grande parte das águas subterrâneas e superficiais são impróprias para contato humano.

中文

2011年,涵盖香港、澳门、蒙古和广东省的扶轮社第3450地区发起了为陕西省渭南市94所公立学校提供清洁饮用水的项目。该地区水污染严重,项目安装了由SkyJuice基金会提供的SkyHydrants被动膜过滤系统,无需电力即可提供无化学物质的饮用水。该项目服务约30万名学生,作为35万美元的试点项目,由地区总督David Harilela在西安附近领导。来自13个地区的100多个俱乐部、200多名扶轮社员参与其中。与教育工作者合作,确保学校员工得到正确培训以维护过滤系统。通过与澳大利亚非政府组织合作,该项目计划将装备过滤器的学校数量翻倍,以应对中国地下水和地表水大多不适合人体接触的严峻水安全问题。

rev. 334 – 2025-12-21

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CHINA

Weinan, a city in the coal-mining hub of Shaanxi province, one of China’s most environmentally distressed regions, has long had problems with polluted drinking water. District 3450, covering Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, and Guangdong province in China, has installed passive membrane filtration systems in 94 public schools, providing 300,000 schoolchildren with access to potable water. The district is ramping up its partnership with an Australian nongovernmental organization to double the number of schools with filtration within the next year.

The SkyHydrant filters, supplied to Rotarians at a discounted price of about $2,000 each by the SkyJuice Foundation, generate clean, chemical-free water and require no electricity. The $350,000 effort was initiated in late 2011 by then-District Governor David Harilela as a pilot project in four schools near Xi’an.

Since then, more than 200 District 3450 Rotarians have worked to install the systems, and more than 100 clubs in 13 districts have contributed to the effort. A key component, notes District Governor Hing Wang Fung, was getting the cooperation of educators and government officials to ensure that school employees would be trained to maintain and monitor the systems.

“The Chinese government has labeled 60 percent of its underground water, and one-third of its surface water, ‘unfit for human contact.’”

by BRAD WEBBER

THE ROTARIAN | DECEMBER 2017