“Water is our most precious natural resource, and we believe access to clean water is a basic human right.“
Access to clean water is a basic human right. Water nourishes. It sustains livelihoods, underpins healthy economies, nurtures ecosystems, and it supports life. Yet two billion people worldwide lack access to safe, healthy water. Think about that.
BlueGreen Water Technologies is working across multiple continents to help solve this crisis. We rid water bodies large and small of toxic algae, cleaning up contaminated drinking water supplies and enabling a safe return to once-polluted fishing grounds while restoring opportunities for recreation and respite. That is why we are proud to introduce The Clean Water Program.
The Clean Water Program will provide access to clean and healthy water in underprivileged communities in 2023. Through this new program, our water scientists are committing their time and expertise to delivering quality pro-bono lake remediation services to disadvantaged communities that cannot afford treatment of recurring harmful algal blooms. As BlueGreen CEO Eyal Harel explains, “We are excited to launch The Clean Water Program to assist communities struggling with a lack of access to healthy water.”
“BlueGreen’s Clean Water Program furthers our mission to restore and optimize the health and safety of water bodies worldwide.”
BlueGreen firmly believes that access to clean water is a right, not a privilege. As Eyal puts it, “Water is our most precious natural resource, and we believe access to clean water is a basic human right. BlueGreen’s Clean Water Program furthers our mission to restore and optimize the health and safety of water bodies worldwide.”
Disadvantaged communities shoulder a disproportionate burden of climate risk, such as pollution and water contamination, and historically have suffered from infrastructure inequities and underinvestment. This needs to change.
“Everyone, regardless of race, national origin, or income, should have access to clean drinking water, as well as healthy waters for fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities. This is a fundamental right, and we are committed to doing our part to ensure it.”
The Clean Water Program strives to ensure underprivileged communities have access to water that is free of harmful algae.
“Everyone, regardless of race, national origin, or income, should have access to clean drinking water, as well as healthy waters for fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities. This is a fundamental right, and we are committed to doing our part to ensure it,” says Eyal.
Toxic algal blooms harm aquatic ecosystems, jeopardize human health, and can be fatal to pets and wildlife. Left untreated, infected water bodies can render drinking water supplies unsafe and can damage livelihoods and local economies.
In 2014, the citizens of Toledo, Ohio were warned not to turn on the tap; the water coming out of it was toxic, contaminated by microsystin, a type of cyanobacteria. The toxic outbreak of harmful algae on western Lake Erie forced the shut down of the city’s entire system, cutting off drinking water to nearly half a million people. Disadvantaged communities were disproportionately impacted by the catastrophe.
Toledo’s water crisis underscores the stark consequences of harmful algal blooms and the need to remediate them. But it also shows how too often, lower income families and those living in disadvantaged communities face a lack of access to healthy water bodies.
In the fall of 2021, BlueGreen was able to provide clean drinking water to the people of Mahikeng, South Africa for the first time in decades. The Setumo Dam, an important resource in South Africa’s North West Province, was plagued with harmful algal blooms rendering the water source toxic.
The Dam’s algal problems were caused by a water treatment facility nearby that was discharging insufficiently treated sewage into the water. The high cyanobacterial cell content in the Dam surpassed the levels deemed safe and approved by the World Health Organization. The South African Bureau of Standards classified the waterbody as “untreatable”, but that’s where BlueGreen came in.
BlueGreen took on the Setumo Dam project pro-bono. The team worked tirelessly to clean up the community’s only water source and it was a success! The locals were able to safely drink water once again. You can read more about the project here.
This is a cause that our company is truly passionate about. As Moshe Harel, BlueGreen’s Founder and CSO, says, “Sharing our expertise has always been part of our ethos at BlueGreen. We are committed to creating a world in which water is safe and accessible, regardless of one’s socioeconomic standing.”
The Clean Water Program is available to underprivileged communities suffering from recurring toxic algal blooms in water bodies of up to 250 acres in size. Our team will provide lake rehabilitation services throughout an entire season of up to four months.
Non-profit organizations, academic or research institutions, local, state, and federal governments, and those involved in water quality management or treatment of harmful algal blooms are encouraged to apply.
Project proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. Selected projects will be announced on March 1, 2023. For additional information, eligibility criteria, and to apply for consideration go to www.bluegreenwatertech.com/the-clean-water-program/
BlueGreen looks forward to creating equitable changes and a lasting impact on water bodies across the world.
