Affordable access to water service has been a large-scale problem in Detroit for much longer than most people think.
Since 2004, tens of thousands of Detroit community members have faced water service shutoffs.
In the spring of 2014, after the state forced the city of Detroit under emergency management, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) began an aggressive plan to shut-off water to 1500-3000 homes per week.
Valerie Blakely, a long-time Detroit resident and a Food & Water Watch intern, reflects on her experiences living through and with the shutoffs.
Everybody in a three-block radius got their water shut off at one time, except me because I stopped him.
They even arranged a “community response team” that was on-call every hour of every day to help homes in need of water.
If people don’t have water in their homes, they have to leave.
This was intentional mass displacement.” Valerie and the People’s Water Board Coalition had their first victory by the end of July 2014: a 15-day moratorium on water shutoffs for the summer.
Unfortunately, even the UN intervention was not enough to put a stop to the Detroit water shutoffs.
Valerie, and the Detroit community, are working with Food & Water Watch to pass and implement an income-based water affordability plan (like the one approved by Detroit City Council in 2006), so that people can finally have access to the safe, affordable water service that they deserve.

What is cholera?
CHOLERA is the potentially deadly condition caused by drinking dirty water or eating contaminated food.
Here’s all you need to know about the bacterial infection caused by poor sanitation.
There also tends to be outbreaks after natural disasters or during a humanitarian crisis, where people are forced to live in cramped conditions with little access to clean drinking water.
However, there have not been any cases of cholera that have originated in England and Wales for over 100 years.
If at this point the disease isn’t treated, the symptoms will get worse and a person can become severely dehydrated very quickly.
The most common treatment for cholera patients is an oral rehydration solution, which can prevent a person becoming too dehydrated.
Is there a vaccine against cholera?
For everyone over the age of six, two doses of the vaccine should be given six weeks apart and at least one week before travelling to an infected area.
They are also putting in place the development of piped water supplies and safe sewage disposal in countries where there is poor sanitation.

Smith, The Water Council announce BREW Corporate technology challenge winner.
Municipal water sensors.
Nanolytix is a pioneer in artificial intelligence and sensor technologies for water quality detection applications.
"We’re excited about the prospective opportunities to partner with the Nanolytix team alongside A. O. Smith engineers at the Corporate Technology Center and the Global Water Center," notes Dr. Robert Heideman, chief technology officer at A. O. Smith Corporation.
The Business, Research, Entrepreneurship in Wisconsin (BREW) Corporate challenge focused on four areas of interest to A. O. Smith: water purification, water heating, sensors, and innovative technologies.
"We felt Nanolytix and their unique sensor technology would be a good investment for both A. O. Smith and The Water Council," Heideman continued.
In addition to the investment, the winning entrepreneurs receive: A suite in the Global Water Center for up to 12 months; Business model and operations training through The Water Council and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Institute for Water Business; access to the Global Water Center’s Flow Lab and A. O. Smith product engineering labs; mentorship from A. O. Smith corporate development and senior engineering staff, as well as direct access to BREW Preferred Partners; attendance to conferences and pitch sessions with The Water Council; and a one-year membership to The Water Council providing access to an extensive water technology network.
About BREW Accelerator Launched in 2013 by The Water Council, the BREW (Business – Research – Entrepreneurship – In Wisconsin) Accelerator unleashes water innovation by funding water technology startups from around the world with commercialization potential.
About Nanolytix Nanolytix is a global leader in rapid testing technology in the areas of water and air.
About A. O. Smith A. O. Smith Corporation, with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide.

Operation Hydrate the Dawgs: UGA student starts program to provide clean water for those in need.
One of his many projects helped nearly 50 homeless people in downtown Athens, providing them with clean drinking water and other materials.
“We always think about what they need in the winter, but the summer can be just as bad, especially in Athens,” Akanmu said.
“I found out that they’re most at risk for dehydration, sunburn, athlete’s foot, bug bites and starvation.
Akanmu recruited a team through social media, asking people to help him with his plan to help the homeless community in Athens.
Mary Margaret Hansen, a junior social work major, and Jennifer Williams, a junior journalism and geography major, offered to contribute, as well as pass out materials with him.
“I actually didn’t know Foley before we did this project with him,” Hansen said.
Akanmu asked each person he met while passing out the bags a series of five questions.
“Some of the people would actually give the stuff to people in other homeless communities that were worse off than they are,” Akanmu said.
“They’re very close knit, they know each other, and most of them are always willing to help each other out.” While most people accepted the clean socks and water, both Hansen and Akanmu said they were surprised by how many people declined the materials.

Tens of millions of Yemenis lack access to clean water, sanitation and basic health care, as three years of civil war have decimated the country and shows no sign of resolution.
The World Health Organization has recorded 368,207 suspected cases of cholera and 1,828 deaths since April 27.
Every day, nearly 5,000 Yemenis suffer from symptoms of acute watery diarrhea and cholera, the organization said in a statement released Friday.
Cholera is an infectious and fatal bacterial disease contracted from drinking contaminated water.
It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, resulting in serious dehydration.
Nearly 15 million people don’t have access to basic health care and access to clean water and sanitation, the WHO reported, adding that 17 million people in the country don’t have access to enough food.
“People are dying in Yemen right now because they cannot access health care,” Dr. Nevio Zagaria, the WHO Representative in Yemen, said in a statement on July 3.
At that time, the WHO announced a 403-ton shipment of medical supplies which included 20 ambulances, 100 cholera kids, hospital equipment and 128,000 bags of intravenous fluids, among others, the statement said.
Copyright © 2017 The Washington Times, LLC.
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Operation Hydrate the Dawgs: UGA student starts program to provide clean water for those in need.
One of his many projects helped nearly 50 homeless people in downtown Athens, providing them with clean drinking water and other materials.
“We always think about what they need in the winter, but the summer can be just as bad, especially in Athens,” Akanmu said.
“I found out that they’re most at risk for dehydration, sunburn, athlete’s foot, bug bites and starvation.
Akanmu recruited a team through social media, asking people to help him with his plan to help the homeless community in Athens.
Mary Margaret Hansen, a junior social work major, and Jennifer Williams, a junior journalism and geography major, offered to contribute, as well as pass out materials with him.
“I actually didn’t know Foley before we did this project with him,” Hansen said.
Akanmu asked each person he met while passing out the bags a series of five questions.
“Some of the people would actually give the stuff to people in other homeless communities that were worse off than they are,” Akanmu said.
“They’re very close knit, they know each other, and most of them are always willing to help each other out.” While most people accepted the clean socks and water, both Hansen and Akanmu said they were surprised by how many people declined the materials.

Affordable access to water service has been a large-scale problem in Detroit for much longer than most people think.
Since 2004, tens of thousands of Detroit community members have faced water service shutoffs.
In the spring of 2014, after the state forced the city of Detroit under emergency management, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) began an aggressive plan to shut-off water to 1500-3000 homes per week.
Valerie Blakely, a long-time Detroit resident and a Food & Water Watch intern, reflects on her experiences living through and with the shutoffs.
Everybody in a three-block radius got their water shut off at one time, except me because I stopped him.
They even arranged a “community response team” that was on-call every hour of every day to help homes in need of water.
If people don’t have water in their homes, they have to leave.
This was intentional mass displacement.” Valerie and the People’s Water Board Coalition had their first victory by the end of July 2014: a 15-day moratorium on water shutoffs for the summer.
Unfortunately, even the UN intervention was not enough to put a stop to the Detroit water shutoffs.
Valerie, and the Detroit community, are working with Food & Water Watch to pass and implement an income-based water affordability plan (like the one approved by Detroit City Council in 2006), so that people can finally have access to the safe, affordable water service that they deserve.

Global Communities-Liberia and Coca-Cola Turns over WELL Project in Liberia.
By Abel R. Okai Bong County – The Golden Triangle Partnership fund under the Coca-Cola System in collaboration with Global Communities has turned over thirty-two newly constructed hand pumps to the people of Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties.
The Well Project which was Implemented by Global Communities, improved supply of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) products and services by providing business and technical trainings for 114 WASH entrepreneurs (WEs) – natural leaders who were trained to install and repair hand pumps as well as to produce soap for sale – consequently improving the livelihoods of the WEs as well as the comfort of their families.
Speaking during the turning over ceremony, the Senior Program Manager of Global Communities said the project was intended to provide clean and safe drinking water as part of the corporate social responsibilities of the foundation.
Mr. Michael Fogbawa added, as part of the project they trained eighteen WASH entrepreneurs, constructed twelve new wells, and rehabilitated more than seventy five hand pumps in Bong County He noted the project enhanced school hygiene, sanitation and health promotion through basic WASH education and the provision of sanitation products for improved latrines and hand washing stations.
A project beneficiary from Arthur Jack Village, commented, “Many times my husband had to accompany me on the 1-hour trip into the forest to fetch drinking water.
Now with the hand pump, we in the community, especially women and children, no longer have to deal with the dangers of traveling far into the forest to collect unsafe drinking water.” Korto Temie said.
During the handover ceremony, Liberia’s Assistant Minister of Public Works, Mr. George Yarngo, encouraged his local government colleagues to support community members in ensuring the project remains sustainable over time.
Mr. Anthony Sheriff expressed optimism the community members will take full ownership of the hand pump which is provided to ensure it remains a viable source of safe water for decades to come.
Through the WELL project, over 40,000 people in 570 Open Defecation Free (ODF) communities and three schools in Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties will be reached with sustained access to clean water, and improved sanitation products and services.

Fayette Co. Sheriff’s Office Teams With Highbridge Springs to Keep Locals Cool.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and Highbridge Springs have joined forces to keep Lexington locals cool throughout the weekend.
According to Scooter Stein, Director of Public Affairs for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Highbridge Springs has made a generous donation of bottled water to the sheriff’s office to hand out to residents who need it the most.
Beginning Friday, deputies will be going door-to-door in Lexington neighborhoods to distribute the water bottles, and to identify any other heat-related needs.
Sheriff Kathy Witt says her office wanted to find a way to help nearby residents who may not have access to drinking water.
"We’ll be going in neighborhoods tomorrow.
Areas that we’ve been in frequently where the deputies have made stops.
They know they don’t have air conditioning.
We ran across them last night that didn’t have any air conditioning, and so we feel like a few bottles of cold water, and we’ll cool them down tonight, will be helpful to them."
For those who may know someone who could use some cold water this coming weekend, or may have another issue regarding the heat, Sheriff Witt says don’t hesitate to call the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at (859) 252-1771.

Water is everywhere in Douala.
The city is known for low water table which often leads to flood events during wet seasons in most neighbourhoods.
This scenario to most residents in the Madasgascar neighbourhood is better imagined than experienced.
Well-to-do families buy drinking water in containers from youths who fetch from distant neighbourhoods on two wheels truck or wheelbarrows.
The street running down beside the residence of the quarter head is often lined up with containers, waiting for the youths.
Twenty litres of the mineral is sold between FCFA 300 and 400 and 10 litres FCFA 200 or FCFA 150 depending on the distance.
Most of the neighbourhood is not connected to tap water.
Taps run dry even in other neighbourhoods.
He attributed water scarcity to global warming, galloping urbanisation and high water consumption for agricultural use, that the available water if good techniques and equipments are employed for treatment can be fit for drinking.
Two-thirds of the Cameroon population doesn’t have access to potable water, one-third in Douala has access to tap water but there is intense contamination from underground water, he noted.