Description

Aquarius was set up in 1992 to develop a low cost and environmentally friendly system of transporting potable water in bulk using flexible polyurethane bags.

Transcript

Learn About Using Water Bags Female: It was a letter published recently on a popular Science magazine that put hands on to the trail of the water cigar. Male: On several occasions, I have seen the 70 centimeters by a nine meters submerged barge in this Saronic Gulf close to Athens. I think it’s flexible because it seems to change shape from one siding to another. What is this and what does it carry, how does it work and why is it submerged. Is this sort of barge particularly to Greece? Can anyone help and find out what it is? Jean Chalmet: It is very interesting the observations that people make and of course it is very difficult for them to understand, unless they see the bag close by what it actually is. I think many people refer to them as water cigars for the simpler reason that is the shape they looked from when you see them at sea. Many people are very surprised that so much water can be contained because it is the iceberg technology. Only 5% of the bag is above the water but 95% of it is underwater. And it is sometimes hard for people to imagine that two million liters of water can be transformed within such a way. Female: It’s winter time on the Greek island of Angistri. Jean Chalmet: In the case of Angistri where are delivering the whole year round water. It is an island that hasn’t got a single drop of water by themselves. They rely entirely on the supply of water that is done either by tanker or that is now in our case with water bags. It is an island that during the winter has about the left hundred of inhabitants permanent. And during the summer that goes up to 3,000, 4,000 people. The bags are constructed under the guidance and plans from Aquarius in Southampton in UK and that is the fabric is an American fabric which has the European approved to a specification and where they are computer designed and cut and they are high frequency welded and then transported by container to Greece. The smaller version of the bag which is the 720 cubic meter takes about six hours to fill whereas the 2,000 cubic meter bag takes about 15 hours to fill. Female: While the island of Angistri sleeps, in the Port of Piraeus near Athens, Captain Flasils and his crew are making their final preparations. The next supply of fresh water will arrive on the island in six hours time. Jean Chalmet: Our technology beats the tankers in terms of delivering water to islands or to anywhere in the world for the very simple reason that each vessel has to arrive at an island and wait until the water tank on the island is empty before they can discharge. With our method of the water bag, we can just take the water bag to the island more at there and then gradually pump as the cisterna or the water reservoir on the island becomes empty. Female: Ileas Kotzeas is a member of Angistri’s municipal council which is responsible for ensuring that the island and its visitors have sufficient water. Ileas Kotzeas: It is very serious problem because you don’t have water we don’t have a tourist. All that live here welcome the tourist and one thing we have to have is their water here. Jean Chalmet: As you can see it today the weather situation is not the exactly Athens best but to the bags it is not a problem. But as you can see very well the bag just floats happily along. We believe that out of technology could be taken in out a container to anywhere in the world that within 48-hour set up and turn by large fishing boats so the transferability is valid anywhere in the world. Ileas Kotzeas: We here now the water scum from there, from the sets here to the tank. Female: The islanders of Angistri now have enough water to last them until the next delivery in a couple of days’ time.