The Rotary Club of Stratford is inviting residents to help build water filtration units for families in need during an upcoming event on May 30, 2026. Volunteers will gather at Jutzi Water Technologies, located at 525 Wright Blvd in Stratford, Ontario, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to assemble the kits.
The project, known as Aquabox, provides clean drinking water to families living in disaster-stricken areas. Each kit is a simple, two-bucket system that uses silver-impregnated ceramic cartridges to filter 15 litres of water at a time. According to the Rotary Club of Stratford, these filters can provide clean water for a family of five for up to a year by trapping harmful bacteria and protozoan cysts.
Since the project began in 2006, volunteers have shipped more than 12,000 units, providing over 62 million litres of clean water globally. Once assembled in Stratford, the units are distributed to communities in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia through the Global Medic, a non-profit disaster response organization.
Walt Bathe, the chairman of the project, notes that the assembly process involves hands-on work, such as bending and stretching, though no heavy lifting is required. The club hosts these build events twice a year, with local volunteers typically assembling 400 to 500 units during each session. For those unable to attend but still looking to contribute, a tax-deductible donation of $30 through the Rotary Club of Stratford Charitable Foundation covers the cost of one filtration unit.
This initiative remains one of many supported by the local club, which was chartered on May 30, 1922. As one of the oldest service clubs in the region, the organization continues to focus on local and international projects designed to improve health and sanitation.
