Hach Company Invites Northern Colorado To Walk For Water

International water quality awareness event scheduled for May 2nd

Hach Company, a Loveland-based company that designs and manufactures water quality analysis equipment sold across the globe, is hosting the 2nd Annual Hach Walk for Water on May 2nd from 9am to 12pm at Loveland High School to benefit Water Missions International.

The Hach Walk for Water is designed to raise community awareness regarding the global water crisis and collect donations to provide sustainable water treatment systems for struggling communities throughout the world. The Walk simulates the journey over a billion people across the globe, mostly women and children, take every day just to collect water — water that’s frequently unsanitary and unsafe for consumption. Participants will walk 3.75 miles around beautiful Lake Loveland, starting and finishing at Loveland High School. Walkers start with an empty bucket and walk halfway around the lake, approximately 2 miles, to an untreated water source where they can fill their bucket. Then, carrying their now-full bucket, they finish the loop around the lake. Upon arriving back at the high school, walkers have the opportunity to pour their untreated water into a fully functioning treatment system — the same type of system being donated through Water Missions International — to witness firsthand the purification process taking place.

This is a free event, but all participants are encouraged to donate generously to support Water Missions International. Hach’s goal is to raise $60,000 which will provide three complete water treatment systems to international communities. Funds raised at the 2014 Walk were used to complete a water treatment system for a school and community in Munami, Kenya.

Water Missions International is a nonprofit engineering organization that provides sustainable safe water and sanitation solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areas. They have served 49 different countries on 5 different continents and have 10 permanent country programs with in-country staff across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Their specially designed water treatment systems can treat 10 gallons (38 liters) of water per minute from raw water sources such as rivers, lakes, springs, ponds, or wells. This provides the daily water needs (3-4 gallons per person) of between 150-200 people each hour the system operates.

Along with the walk, this event will feature many activity stations designed to elevate awareness of global water challenges and the importance clean water plays in daily lives. Several activity stations will be hosted by Hach Walk for Water sponsors, including Colorado State University, Hydro Construction, and the American Water Works Association. Other booths will feature family-friendly activities such as face painting, bucket decorating and water-based educational games. All participants will receive a free t-shirt and bucket.

Registrations and donations can be made at www.hachwalkforwater.org.

The Hach Walk for Water is being held in partnership with the following local sponsors:

• Colorado State University, including:
  • The CSU Water Center — The CSU Water Center brings together a network of over 150 faculty members from various departments across the CSU campus and seeks to engage students and faculty in interdisciplinary research and to promote current water-related research taking place at CSU. For more information, visit watercenter.colostate.edu
  • The CSU Confucius Institute – Part of CSU’s Office of International Programs, the Confucius Institute at Colorado State University offers courses on Chinese language and culture, and specializes in supporting research on water and environmental sustainability. (cicsu.colostate.edu)
• Hydro Construction — Hydro Construction Company, a local Fort Collins company, specializes in the construction of water and wastewater treatment facilities and related projects.  One of their core values is to develop and execute ways of giving back to the community. For more information, visit www.hydroconstruction.com
• American Water Works Association — AWWA is kicking off this year’s national Drinking Water Week by sponsoring the Hach Walk for Water. For more than 35 years, AWWA and its members have been celebrating Drinking Water Week – a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in our daily lives. For more information, visit www.awwa.org.

For more information, visit www.hach.com, www.watermissions.org