FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How much water does the Aquabox hold? 78 litres How many litres can the filter purify? 1,100 litres ( which is 14 boxfulls ) How can we be sure the 2 chlorine tablets will purify the 78 litres? This has been calculated scientifically and approved by the World Health Authority How long after the tablets are put into the water is it ready to drink? We recommend 2 hours. But on a practical experiment we took water out of Eltham duck pond, we made two samples, one before and one after the tablets had been placed into the Aquabox. We then sent them to Gribbles .They reported that the water before was totally unacceptable for drinking whereas after 20 minutes is was as good as tap water. But we must remember that in a disaster zone there could be typhoid, cholera etc ,so 2 hours is safer. Can an Aquabox remove/clean sea water? No Can Aquabox remove toxins, chemicals and /or heavy metals? No, but it will remove 99.9% of all known diseases. What do they do after the filter has been used 14 times? Replace with a new filter if they have one – sometimes we put 2 filters and 56 tablets into a standard box . With the Aquabox 30 there are 30 filters and 840 tablets. What does the filter do? It is a an activated carbon filter which removes dissolved organic contaminants, very small solid particles and the taste of chlorine. What happens to the box when no longer required - is it returned? No, it is usually used to store food etc. It is strong and keeps out vermin etc. The logistics of returning do not justify the cost. What does the Muslin do? When filling the box, water is passed through the muslin which eliminates the debris and large particles before entering the box. How do the recipients know how to use the Aquabox? There is a cartoon showing each step , usually in English . We have some in Hindi, Mandarin and Cantonese . With the Aquabox 30 we have a booklet in English, French, Italian , Portuguese and Spanish . The worse mistake they can make is not to put in the 2 tablets - too many tablets just make the water unpalatable( chlorine ) If the filter is used too many times much the same happens. What are the administration costs for Aquabox? NONE. This where Rotary Aquabox differs from most other Aid Projects! All the fund raising , purchasing of components, packing, and administration is done by Rotarians and they do not charge . Even the printing is done by donation. The costs - the box, filter, tablets and muslin - are all covered in the $125 .00. We absorb all the freight charges . When the Aquaboxes are sent overseas – usually by airfreight, Rotary generally pays or we get a generous airline or an Aid agency to help. With the Standard Aquabox who packs these? Rotary Clubs. A high standard of quality and safety is required when selecting items to include in our Aquaboxes. This is done by clubs who are actively involved in the project. What goes into the boxes? We include a list of recommended humanitarian aid items. This list changes from time to time according to the feedback we get. For example we had to remove the clothing from the Aquaboxes which were sent to Sri Lanka. We have to be aware of the ethnic standards of all countries . For example we don’t put in tampons, sleeveless woman’s tops, even toilet paper presents problems in some locations. Do you know where our Aquabox went? No, not as yet. We are going to number every Aquabox and keep a record of where it goes. Rotary club of Wirksworth England have sent out nearly 10,000 boxes and I believe they have only received 2 letters of thanks. When you are up to your neck in dirty water and damage you haven’t the time to write a letter of thanks. But there have been reports from aid workers “we were almost out of drinking water when your Aquabox arrived and the soap was wonderful" Do you put food into the Aquabox? No, even with cans and packets , we do not know how long they may remain in our store. Also there is again the ethnic problem , some foods may upset their religious standards of the receiver. How about medicines? We try to include a first aid kit – or basic bandages ,plasters and creams. It would be too dangerous to include medicines although I think anti diarrhoea tablets would be useful if we could be sure they were taken correctly. Could water from Aquabox be used for performing surgery? Yes, we have had this tested . In fact the first Aquabox was taken to Nepal by two Rotarian dentists to perform dental surgery. We are going to pursue this further and make up an Aquabox special to be used by field hospitals.