Meet PAUL

No, PAUL is not a person. PAUL is an acronym standing for Portable Aqua Unit for Lifesaving which was developed in Germany by a professor at the University of Kassel. Lions Clubs in my district and in our twin districts in Germany and France are enthusiastic about this. A recent press release read:

Lions Clubs currently respond to disasters by funding major rebuilding programmes for essential services, such as schools and medical facilities, such as following the Haiti earthquake (when £700,000 was made available by Clubs in the British Isles & Ireland) or following the Japanese tsunami. But we recognise that there is also major short term requirement for basic needs – the most essential being drinking water.

In the future, Lions Clubs will respond to these needs by providing PAUL (Portable Aqua Unit for Lifesaving) Waterpacks, each one capable of producing a daily constant supply of up to 1200 litres of clean drinking water from contaminated water.

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, rivers and wells are frequently contaminated by pathogenic bacteria causing diarrhea, cholera and other diseases, or the piped supply, if it previously existed, is destroyed, resulting in many victims, especially children.

No energy – no chemicals – no frequent maintenance - no skilled operator is needed for these lifesaving units which, weighing 20 kgs, are entirely portable by one person and can be dropped by parachute if necessary. Polluted water is simply poured in at the top and the unit, by filtering out 99% of germs, provides a ready supply of clean water in a few minutes.

Lions Clubs in the south-east of England are launching a public appeal to purchase additional PAUL Waterpacks which will be held in stock pending the need for their future deployment.

Just to catch up: I cleaned the drain and refitted everything with NO LEAKS!

And the insurance. The quote I received last week for the Old Bat's motor insurance was £282. The brokers rang back yesterday with a new figure: £171. My wife took the call while I was out. She queried the difference and was told they try to obtain the best quote possible. Really? How come the first quote wasn't the best? And anyway, I can get the same cover elsewhere for £131. Guess who is not getting our business.