Georg Fischer completes “Clean Water” bicentenary projects quickly and successfully

The project in Dobrich, Bulgaria, is almost completed. Further Clean Water projects in Afghanistan, Guatemala, Tanzania and Ethiopia are at an advanced stage of planning. Thanks to efficient project management and targeted knowledge transfer, in which the local inhabitants are involved in the project's realization, these projects should also be completed on time in the coming months.

The Clean Water project in Bulgaria - being conducted as part of the Schaffhausen – Dobrich hospital partnership - is just about finished. This partnership, which is intended to provide education and advanced training for Bulgarian doctors, nurses and hospital personnel, was launched more than ten years ago by the Schaffhausen physician Dr. André Graedel. The cooperation between the two hospitals serves as a model and led to André Graedel being honoured with an important award from the Bulgarian President.

Since the entire infrastructure and plumbing of the Dobrich hospital were in a very poor state owing to the currently difficult economic situation in Bulgaria, Georg Fischer decided to support the hospital partnership with a practical contribution that would ensure a reliable supply of clean drinking water for the hospital.

The main focus was the renovation of the old water pipe system, which was laid underground, and of the plant for distribution of the water within the building. Specialists from the Georg Fischer Piping Systems Corporate Group supplied the appropriate components and equipment, trained local workmen in the use of the materials and supervised the construction and installation work.

This practical support and supervision of the construction work creates the conditions for improving the quality of drinking water and optimizing the operating conditions at the Dobrich hospital. The project is at an advanced stage and will in all likelihood by completed in September this year. The project costs totalled CHF 200,000.