CAPE TOWN - South African bottled water brand, aQuellé has today delivered an initial donation of approximately 30 000 litres of bottled water to drought-stricken Cape Town, ahead of Day Zero.
The donation was spearheaded from the company’s KwaZulu-Natal headquarters which saw aQuellé’s Managing Director, Arno Stegen, joining a convoy of trucks to deliver water to the Cape.
Stegen said that the current water crisis that Cape Town is encountering is of great concern.
“We obviously feel that we have a responsibility and a role to play in the crisis that has struck Cape Town. The crisis prompted us to consider what we can do to make a difference and to take pressure off Cape Town”, said Stegen.
The bottled spring water brand today donated approximately 30 000 litres comprising of 1.5 litres of bottled water to local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Water Shortage SA.
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According to Stegen, the City of Cape Town will be working with Water Shortage SA at a facility and according to a list, they will then disperse water to the needy.
“All those that do not have access to a water point will be assisted”, said Stegen. The water that was donated has been delivered from aQuellé’s KZN plant, although they have plants all over the Western Cape. “We are sending water from our KZN plant in order to relieve the pressure on Cape Town and the scarcity that the city is facing”, said Stegen.
“We hope that this small effort of ours will act as a catalyst and inspire others to play their part. We look forward to being part of a convoy of trucks that will assist Cape Town with the water drought”. Stegen added that together with the SA National Bottled Water Association (SANBWA) and other NGOs, they are identifying areas of vulnerability and will be assisting wherever possible.
The company has pledged their additional support to Cape Town by transporting an additional 804 097 litres of natural spring water from Kranskop this week in order to assist further. “Although there are significant costs involved in producing such a commodity [such as pumping and extraction costs, equipment, packaging, adherence to legal, health and safety regulations and so-forth], aQuellé has always endeavoured to offer an affordable but quality product”, said Stegen.