Water for the World aims at fostering knowledge and partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions that can make a difference to the access and management of fresh water and sanitation.
The following case stories illustrate partnerships, knowledge and solutions in action. We will regularly report on progresses and projects development. To subscribe to our news update please register as a water friend.
Providing clean drinking water to small towns in rural Vietnam
Only 44% of rural households would have today access to safe drinking water. Well water or rainwater many rely on for drinking lead to health problems and account for a large number of hospitalisation for diarrhoea and related diseases.
Borouge worked with DEWACO, a local utility and private operator of a new waste water treatment plant at Ho Phong, in the extreme South Vietnam, to provide PE 100 solutions for drinking water supply in the city and the nearby town of Gai Rai. More [PDF]
A sustainable water system for the Swami Maheshwaranande Ashram Cantre
In the Indian State of Rajasthan, industrial, agricultural and domestic activities have polluted many of the groundwater sources creating health problems for local populations and requiring heavy investment to secure fresh water access.
Borouge, together with one of its customers, Dura-Line, supported the Vishwadeep Gurukul organisation to expand their campus at the "Swami Maheshwaranande Ashram" Centre for Education and Research. Harvested rainwater will be distrivbuted to the new facilities through a durable PE100 pipe system.. More [PDF]
Providing continous water supply to the residents of Bhaktapur, Nepal
Despite efforts by many organisations, less than 60% of Nepal rural pouplation has access to fresh water, while half of urban household and one in ten rural households are connected to piped water.
Together with local partners, Borouge supported the Sushma Koirala Memorial Trust to provide a continous connection to piped fresh water to a school and 200O residents in a district of the historic town of Bakhtapur.
‘Acqua per L’Aquila’ - Securing water for earthquake victims in L’Aquila, Italy
On April 6, 2009, the Abruzzi region of central Italy was hit by a major earthquake. Particularly badly affected was the town of L’Aquila in which 299 people were killed, more than 1,000 injured and, with the destruction of 15,000 buildings,28,000 people were made homeless and without access to essential services such as clean drinking water.
Under the umbrella of its Water for the World programme, Borealis together with Italian pipe producer System Group-Centraltubi took the initiative and provided on a pro bono basis the infrastructure to supply drinking water for 1,800 people.
A short video on teh project is available on Borealis web site or read the case study More [PDF]
Bringing a PE “Life Line” for Children’s Hospital in Hanoi
Vietnam has been growing fast over the last decade and has made considerable progress in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation. However, there are many challenges left which still need support from outside bodies.
One example was the National Hospital of Paediatrics (NHP) in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the water and sanitation conditions were far from ideal with poor water quality and very few drinking and hand washing facilities. Now, thanks to the work of the NGO Lien Aid, supported by Borouge, the situation is much improved, which will bring health and hope to many children as they embark on their journey to recovery.
Aqua per l'Aquila: water pipes for the resettlement of Abruzzi earthquake victims
Borealis and pipe manufacturer System Group-CentralTubi have donated Borstar PE materials and water pipe for the installation of a 1.3 km long water pipe mains in L'Aquila to secure water supply to 1,200 victims in the resettlement area.
Under the patronage of the Austrian Embassy, Borealis has taken the initiative and united its forces together with System Group-Centraltubi, a leading Italian pipe producer, and Prof. Alessandro Marangoni from Bocconi University. The team agreed with the Italian Government body National Civil Protection (NCP) to support pro bono basis the re-construction of “Coppito 3” consisting of 13 housing blocks for the resettlement of approx. 1.200 people. The Abruzzi earthquake on April 6, 2009 made 58,000 people homeless and destroyed around 15,000 buildings in the region of L’Aquila. More [PDF]
Providing drinking water supply to Sichuan earthquake resettlement Camp
The earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan province in May 2008, left the survivors without many amenities, including fresh drinking water.
Borouge joined Lien Aid, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), and the Singapore Water Association, to alleviate the water problem for the 10,000 population of Shengli, a village and resettlement camp near Beichuan County, by launching the “Drop of Hope” project. Borouge supplied the polyethylene material to Szechuan Chinaust, who produced and delivered the pipes to the village, 300km away. The 2km pipeline was completed in just a couple of days, thanks to the flexibility and ease of handling of the pipe.
Australia’s Queensland has been one of the worst hit areas with droughts and following several years of water shortage, many of its reservoirs are below 20% capacity, and therefore, new water sources are extremely welcome.
One new source being exploited is the use of water from the gas extracted from the underground coal seams in the state. This water which in the past was seen as a waste product, could now provide a valuable source of additional water. Pipelines are now being installed to deliver the water to the local communities and provide cooling water for the local power stations. More [PDF]
Providing rain water storage for Tanzania school kids [coming soon]
Working with the Belgium NGO, Endallah vzw, Borealis is supporting the pilot installation of large scale rain water storage and basic sanitation system in a newly built primary school in the village of Endallah, Centre Tanzania. Rather than having kids digging mud pits in a dry river to fetch water, water storage will keep them at school over the dry season while latrines and hand washing systems will help promoting hygiene and sanitation good practices.
More information coming soon. Check out also endallah vzw web site.[Website]
Reducing Beijing water losses by relining ageeing mains
Beijing faces a serious water shortage due to rapid population growth exacerbated by successive years of drought. A large part of the water network, installed in the 1950’s is now heavily corroded and leads to impotant leaks of scarce water resources.
Borouge material tehcnology contributed to addressing the challenge of reducing water losses at a reasonable cost,without bringing the city to a standstill.
Delivering fresh water "on-tap" to 3000 homes in Malkapur
Malkapur like many villages in rural India has an intermittent and inadequate water supply system, which leads to its villagers spending many hours each day queuing for their allocation. The Maharashtra State Government has a policy to improve this situation and provide an efficient supply of fresh water with a much reduced leakage rate.
Borouge, together with a local pipe supplier and installer, is working to meet this challenge by providing high-quality material for a new, sustainable water supply network. By the summer of 2008 they expect to have installed a new leak-free water supply system serving all 3,000 homes in the village of Malkapur, around the clock, 7 days a week.More [PDF]
Bringing fresh water from mainland China to Quemoy islands
Providing dry island communities – those with no natural source of fresh water – with long-lasting drinking water supplies are a major engineering challenge. The failure of submarine pipelines can be very expensive, and metal pipes are vulnerable to rapid corrosion in salt water.
Fully resistant to the damaging effects of seawater, polyethylene pipe technology is now being applied on the coast of southern China to link the dry Taiwan-administered islands of Quemoy to the city water supply of Xiamen on mainland China.More [PDF]
Protecting the Whanganui river with new sewage system
Effectively managing the sewage, wastewater and stormwater flows in a modern city is essential to the health and welfare of the community and the environment.Unfortunately in so many cities around the world the underground networks have been allowed to deteriorate, and now the difficulties in upgrading them seem to be insurmountable.
In the city of Wanganui, New-Zealand, the city engineers have combined modern plastic pipeline materials and the latest installation technology to help them develop their new network.More [PDF]
Securing fresh water access to 450 villages in Andhra Pradesh
Around 200 million people in rural India have no access to fresh water. In those areas, the use of high quality materials and standards is essential to deliver sustainable solutions.
The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has worked with Borouge to select a material solution for the building of a reliable water supply system that serves half a million people in Andhra Pradesh, India.More [PDF]
Contributing to save 120 millions litres of water in London
Like in many European cities, London’s water utility, Thames Water, faces the challenge of meeting the demand of a growing population while half of its water pipe network is over a century old and looses 30% of the water supply through leaks and cracks.
The replacement of 1,600 kilometres of mains by 2010 required innovative material and high quality standards. The PE pipe solution chosen provides a sustainable solution and reduces both the financial and environmental costs by offering a number of “no dig” options.More [PDF]
Meeting development challenges in coastal Karnataka
Rural to urban migration is putting massive pressure on urban infrastructures.This is particularly the case in the State of Karnataka and the subregion of Bangalore, in India, where improvement of the water and sanitation network is vital for the local population and balanced development of the region.
Serpentine streets and monsoon climatic conditions are tough local challenges that required the use of PE100 pipe systems to provide inhabitants of Mangalore and Puttur with access to fresh water and improved sanitation.More [PDF]
Preventing water supply disruptions and preserving trees in Shanghai
The rapid development of cities put huge pressures on the infrastructure which means that traditional solutions fail in a relatively short time. Such was the case in Shanghai where, after only 20 years, an iron water main in a congested inner suburb needed urgent replacement.
The solution was PE relining. Requiring only 30 small pits and a mere three months time, the Shanghai Pudong Water Company replaced 2.6 km of water pipes with a durable system, ensuring minimal disruption for residents and preservation of the surrounding greenery.More [PDF]
Enhancing the sustainability of Malmö’s sewer network
Sanitation is a vital yet too often ignored challenge, and the durability of buried sewerage system materials is rarely considered by municipalities.
The city of Malmö, Sweden, conducted a 6 year test programme to assess the resistance of sewerage pipes materials to tree root penetration.
The research marked a step change for the sustainability of these pipe systems by using welded PP-HM materials. It shows how closely economic, social and ecological benefits are linked together.More [PDF]
Only 44% of rural households would have today access to safe drinking water. Well water or rainwater many rely on for drinking lead to health problems and account for a large number of hospitalisation for diarrhoea and related diseases. 
In the Indian State of Rajasthan, industrial, agricultural and domestic activities have polluted many of the groundwater sources creating health problems for local populations and requiring heavy investment to secure fresh water access.
Despite efforts by many organisations, less than 60% of Nepal rural pouplation has access to fresh water, while half of urban household and one in ten rural households are connected to piped water. 
On April 6, 2009, the Abruzzi region of central Italy was hit by a major earthquake. Particularly badly affected was the town of L’Aquila in which 299 people were killed, more than 1,000 injured and, with the destruction of 15,000 buildings,28,000 people were made homeless and without access to essential services such as clean drinking water.
Vietnam has been growing fast over the last decade and has made considerable progress in meeting the UN Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation. However, there are many challenges left which still need support from outside bodies.
Borealis and pipe manufacturer System Group-CentralTubi have donated Borstar PE materials and water pipe for the installation of a 1.3 km long water pipe mains in L'Aquila to secure water supply to 1,200 victims in the resettlement area.
The earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan province in May 2008, left the survivors without many amenities, including fresh drinking water. 
Australia’s Queensland has been one of the worst hit areas with droughts and following several years of water shortage, many of its reservoirs are below 20% capacity, and therefore, new water sources are extremely welcome. 
Working with the Belgium NGO, Endallah vzw, Borealis is supporting the pilot installation of large scale rain water storage and basic sanitation system in a newly built primary school in the village of Endallah, Centre Tanzania. Rather than having kids digging mud pits in a dry river to fetch water, water storage will keep them at school over the dry season while latrines and hand washing systems will help promoting hygiene and sanitation good practices.
Beijing faces a serious water shortage due to rapid population growth exacerbated by successive years of drought. A large part of the water network, installed in the 1950’s is now heavily corroded and leads to impotant leaks of scarce water resources. 
Malkapur like many villages in rural India has an intermittent and inadequate water supply system, which leads to its villagers spending many hours each day queuing for their allocation. The Maharashtra State Government has a policy to improve this situation and provide an efficient supply of fresh water with a much reduced leakage rate. 
Providing dry island communities – those with no natural source of fresh water – with long-lasting drinking water supplies are a major engineering challenge. The failure of submarine pipelines can be very expensive, and metal pipes are vulnerable to rapid corrosion in salt water. 
Effectively managing the sewage, wastewater and stormwater flows in a modern city is essential to the health and welfare of the community and the environment.Unfortunately in so many cities around the world the underground networks have been allowed to deteriorate, and now the difficulties in upgrading them seem to be insurmountable.
Around 200 million people in rural India have no access to fresh water. In those areas, the use of high quality materials and standards is essential to deliver sustainable solutions.
Like in many European cities, London’s water utility, Thames Water, faces the challenge of meeting the demand of a growing population while half of its water pipe network is over a century old and looses 30% of the water supply through leaks and cracks. 
Rural to urban migration is putting massive pressure on urban infrastructures.
This is particularly the case in the State of Karnataka and the subregion of Bangalore, in India, where improvement of the water and sanitation network is vital for the local population and balanced development of the region.
