REVERSE OSMOSIS PROJECT
While volunteering in Sri Lanka in July 2017, Neil Chopp, met the dedicated men and women in the Rotary Club of Kelaniya, near the capital city of Colombo. Eight months prior, Neil Chopp and Bill Armstrong initiated a plan in which the Rotary Club of Dundas and the Rotary Club of Dundas Valley Sunrise would support a clean water project in the country of Sri Lanka. Sarath Gunawardane, Chairman, Projects, of the Rotary Club in Kelaniya acted as the primary contact regarding the process and completion of the reverse osmosis (R.O.) plant project. A $6,500.00 grant would be necessary for the construction of the R.O. plant; each Dundas club allocated $2,250.00 toward the project with an additional $2,000.00 matching grant from District 7090.
A team of six Rotarians from Rotary Club of Kelaniya together with the Sri Lanka Civil Defence Department (who would take over the maintenance/security of the plant and the sustainability of the project) worked to find a suitable location to fix the R.O. plant. A village called Kabithigollawa was selected where there have been several people affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Some of these victims either have received kidney transplants or are undergoing periodic dialysis treatment. The village selected has about 500 people, who would be the beneficiaries of clean water for drinking and cooking purposes. We selected a vendor who has installed several such R.O. plants in CKD affected areas in the North Central province. Incidentally the vendor is part of a Buddhist organisation whose single objective is to alleviate the sufferings of CKD affected people and does the installations of R.O. plants on a non-profit basis. Additionally, these R.O. plants were the least costly. 
The selection of the location was done in November 2017. The construction work; however, could not begin due to the monsoon which prevailed in December/January period. The local community took part in clearing the location, cleaning up an existing water well and formed a leadership team to support the Sri Lanka Civil Defence Force in the sustainability of the project. The construction of the plant house began in February 2018.
A leadership team among the villagers was formed to oversee the operation during construction and thereafter. The Sri Lanka Civil Defence Force (with the consent of the hierarchy of the SL Civil Defence Department) was requested to take over the management where a nominal amount will be charged from the consumers (Cents 50 per litre of water) as maintenance cost for the replacement of filters and other consumables. The vendor will continue to do the service maintenance of the plant. The expected long-term impacts of this projects are:
- To purify polluted water and provide pure water with the intention of preventing disease.
- Making purified water available for a village and its local schools.
- Improving the villager’s health, productivity and happiness.
The Rotary clubs of Dundas with the overseas partner, the Rotary Club of Kelaniya, worked diligently to provide the villagers of Kabithigollawa with sustainable access to safe and clean drinking water. Reports are forthcoming from Sri Lanka on the activation and commissioning of the R.O. plant on 19th of May 2018.