Aquascape Foundation provides clean water to students in Uganda
A team of Aquascape Foundation volunteers installed a 32,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system at Master Cares Christian School in Kyotera, Uganda the week of Jan. 6.
The newly installed Aquascape Rainwater Harvesting System provides clean drinking water for approximately 550 schoolchildren and 200 staff members year-round and allows students and teachers to focus on education and betterment.
Ed Beaulieu, vice president of field research and contractor development for Aquascape Inc., designed the school's rainwater harvesting system to collect runoff from two of Master Cares' buildings.
Chuck Catton, tech support supervisor for Aquascape Inc., led the construction of the project while Aquascape Foundation volunteers installed the rainwater capture system.
Captured rainwater travels through 12 downspout filters and is stored in a subsurface chamber then passed through a solar-powered pump, UV filter and micron filter into a storage tank.
Based on average rainfall, the system can be refilled 2½ times a year allowing 80,000 gallons of water to be collected and used every year.
"Master Cares' students and staff have a limited source of clean water available, so the ability to capture, filter and reuse rainwater will aid the longevity and success of this incredible organization. The school can support an additional 150 students using the captured rainwater," says Carla Wittstock, president of the Aquascape Foundation. "We're so appreciative to have a devoted team of volunteers who traveled and strived to make this lifesaving project a reality."
The Aquascape Foundation partnered with the founder of Master Cares' ministry, Charles Loper, to make the support of this nonprofit school and organization possible.
Aquascape Foundation volunteers who participated in the rainwater harvesting project included: Carla Wittstock, Wayne, Ill.; Aquascape Inc. founder and CEO, Greg Wittstock, Wayne, Ill.; Aquascape Inc. president, Colleen Heitzler, St. Charles, Ill.; Chuck Catton, Chatham, Ontario, Canada; Alan Decker of Decker Pondscapes in Pattersonville, N.Y.; Ralph Biezad of Pondscapes AZ in Queens Creek, Ariz.; Dave Blocksom of Pondscape of Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C.; Michael Kurylo of Premier Ponds LLC in Urbana, Md.; Jason Duffney of Earth Works in Jacksonville, Fla.; Allan Schule of Sound Shore Pond in Riverhead, N.Y.; Chris Ostrander of Living Water Landscape Service in Battle Creek, Mich.; Sam Nelson of Nelson Lawn and Landscape in Parker, Colo.; Charlie Ross of Virginia Water Gardens in Fredericksburg, Va.; Sean Frost of NatureScapes in Grafton, N.H.; Jaak Harju and April Dugan of Atlantis Water Gardens in Morris Plains, N.J.; John Adams of Modern Design Aquascaping in Friendsville, Tenn.; Diane and Chris Baker of Across the Pond Aquascapes in Doylestown, Penn.
For more information on the Aquascape Foundation and its mission, go to www.aquascapefoundation.org.
For information on the Aquascape Rainwater Harvesting System, visit www.aquascapeinc.com.
The Aquascape Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization established in 2008. The foundation's mission is to create sustainable solutions for the worldwide water crisis. The purpose of The Foundation is to promote awareness of water as our most precious resource through environmental, educational and philanthropic efforts.
Aquascape is North America's leading innovator in the water gardening industry. Aquascape invented the low-maintenance, naturally balanced ecosystem pond that is the # 1 contractor-installed water garden. The St. Charles, Illinois headquarters, dubbed "Aqualand," received Silver-Level recognition in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating system in 2006. At Aquascape, our mission is to connect people to water the way nature intended. Aquascape and its vast network of authorized distributors sell exclusively to contractors and retailers. Founded in 1991, Aquascape made the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies four years in a row. In 2005, founder and CEO Greg Wittstock was named one of America's Best Bosses by Fortune Small Business Magazine and Winning Workplaces.