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22 March World Water Day!

The three-day global event will bring together approximately 1,500 international and local participants, comprising over 20 thematic sessions, 40 exhibitors and high-level panel debates.

UN-HABITAT has worked closely with UN-Water Members and other partner organizations to develop key messages for this year's World Water Day. They have been categorized into 5 thematic areas: urbanization, sanitation and pollution, governance and management, investment and finance, environmental impact and climate change.

• Urbanization - The major impending impact of rapid urban population growth and the growth of informal settlements is the most pressing and urgent challenge in the water sector.
• Sanitation and Pollution - The impact of industrialization, water pollution, lack of sanitation and environmental degradation (on land, in fresh water and marine environments) needs greater recognition and attention.
• Governance and Management - Improve governance, deepen the reform of local government, city and utility management.
• Investment and Finance - Increase investment and sustainable financial management of urban water supply, sanitation/sewerage, wastewater treatment and storm water infrastructure.
• Environmental Impact and Climate Change - Impacts on the environment from climate change, conflicts and natural disasters pose huge challenges for urban water and waste management.

Approach to World Water Day 2011 involves:

• Engaging top leadership – Get key messages to world leaders to recognize the importance of urban water and waste management and use their influence to inspire positive action.
• From a day to a year: The WWD 2011 will be a launch of activities and approaches that seek to reach out for the year ahead and beyond.
• Getting women, children and youth involved – Reach out to all stakeholders, but especially get women, children and youth involved in activities to celebrate the activities.
• Strong media exposure – Give special attention to engaging the media to give high exposure to in WWD 2011.
• Connecting people - Connect as many WWD 2011 events across the world as possible using tele/videoconferences, live broadcasts, facebook, twitter, etc. to provide a sense of community and enable mass participation in the global celebrations.
• Learning exchanges – Encourage learning and information exchanges between different constituencies, cities, towns and between countries. WWD will also seek to mobilize the major water agencies and partnerships to focus their attention on urban issues.
• Reaching out beyond water – There are many stakeholders not directly involved in water management, who are affected or can contribute to improving water and sanitation management. WWD 2011 seeks to reach out to business, the health, education, energy, infrastructure and environmental sectors to play a part in addressing the complex urban challenge

For more information on this year's World Water Day visit the official website: www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

http://www.unwater.org/activities_bert2.html

Jan Rossman 'Wacek'. In the Warsaw Sewers.

Jan Rossman 'Wacek', a member of the top leadership of the Szare Szeregi [Gray Ranks, Polish Scouting] during the war, was an officer in the command of the Polish Home Army 'Zoska' battalion. 

At the end of August, 1944 [during the Warsaw Uprising] he made a passage in the sewer system from the Old Town to the Zoliborz district with an assignment of evacuating the wounded from the Old Town and obtaining supplies of ammunition from Zoliborz. During the construction of the sewer dam between the Old Town and the Zoliborz district, the author was in Zoliborz.

He commanded the demolition unit which blew up the dam. Until the end of the Uprising, he was in the Zoliborz unit responsible for sewer communication.

Jan Rossman 'Wacek'. In the Warsaw Sewers,Zeszyty Historyczne, No. 109, Instytut Literacki, Paris, 1994.

http://www.warsawuprising.com/paper/warsaw_sewers.htm

Lindleys' Filters tourist attraction in Warsaw

Of the three water suppliers in Warsaw, the Central Department of Water (Zakład Wodociągu Centralnego, or ZWC) is the oldest and largest. Built between 1883 and 1886, it has supplied water to the inhabitants of Warsaw since that time and continues to meet 50% of the capital’s water needs. Its technology today remains largely faithful to the original, and was first designed by William Lindley and his son William Lindley Heerleina; this design was enriched and improved in 1933 by the Department of Rapid Water Filters. The second wave of technology was launched in 1972, in which specially fired, moisture-resistant bricks were used. 

The outbreak of WWII brutally interrupted the successful distribution of water in the city, with the bombing of September 1939 and the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 causing massive damage, as the main buildings and their networks suffered a direct attack. On September 22, 1944 Warsaw's water supply was completely cut off, and was not restored again until May 29, 1945. The damage was worsened by the fact that much of the water filtering machinery was stolen by the retreating Germans, and so both reconstruction and replacement of equipment took several years.
Currently, the ZWC uses an ultra-modern, fully equipped laboratory to test the water at all stages of its treatment and supply. In addition to water quality control continuously being performed by the laboratory, selected parameters are constantly monitored by an on-line measuring device. 

Hidden beauty of the clean water tanks

The filtering station has open days in July and August, and invites visitors to see the historic technology that has functioned for over 120 years. Visits must be pre-arranged, and are by invitation only; the booking office begins accepting requests in the last week of June, at which time ZWC security issues as many invitations as possible, based on one's preferred date, time and number of guests.

http://www.warsawtour.pl/en/tourist-attractions/lindley-water-filters-filtry-1962.html

This filtering station is the oldest and largest from water suppliers in Warsaw which supplied water to the inhabitants of Warsaw since a half of 19th century. In July and August, visitors are invited to see that historic technology.