Event Date : 13 Apr 2008
Province : Western Province
Venue : Bellville Stadium (Adjacent to Velodrome)
Online entry Start Date : 26 Feb 2008
Online entry End Date : 30 Mar 2008
Contact : Western Province Athletics
Contact Number : 079 781 4723 or 079 781 4724




Get your FREE Vivatap sample in the Spar womens day 10km race.

The SPAR Women's 10 km Challenge Series started with a single race in Durban twelve years ago and now enjoys national participation.

Click here to read more!

Protect your child against dehydration

Dehydration can occur because of poor fluid intake or excessive loss of fluids through vomiting, diarrhea, sweating and urination. Young children are at greater risk of dehydration than adults their bodies have a higher percentage of water, their metabolic rates are higher and they are at greater risk of infections that cause vomiting and diarrhea. They are also dependent on others to feed them and give them fluid.

essential bodily processes such as circulation of blood, excretion by the kidneys and sweating, need to be maintained and this is not possible if there is a drastic loss of fluid. Children can become dehydrated very quickly. During early stages of dehydration, a child my complain of extreme thirst and young children my become very irritable.

Suspect dehydration if you notice any of the following:

Chapped lips,
Dry mouth
Dry eyes

What are the signs?

Signs of advance dehydration in infants include a weak pulse, shallow breathing and a blue tinge to the skin, which also feels cold to the touch. With severe dehydration there is increasing weakness and lethargy and the urge to drink my be last.

A valuable method of assessing dehydration in children is by gently pinching up the skin on the side of the abdomen. On releasing, it should immediately return to normal. When dehydration is present the skin fold takes much longer to return.

When to call a doctor?

Dehydration can lead to serious medical complications, including damage to the internal organs such as the liver, kidneys and brain. Consult a doctor immediately if a child's skin feels cold to the touch, he/she appears dizzy or disorientated, has chapped lips or dry mouth. If the child is unconscious or unable to drink, fluids can be administered via a tube inserted into the stomach.

If vomiting is constant and the situation more serious, intravenous rehydration may be necessary. Electrolytes ( sodium and potassium) are also lost when a person becomes dehydrated and acid-base balance is disturbed.

Drink more WATER

Humans can survive for several weeks without food, but for only a few days without water. A constant supply is needed to replenish the fluids lost through normal physiological activities, such as respiration, sweating and urination.Reference daily intake for water is 3.7 L/day for human males aged 19-30 years. Food contributes 0.5–1 L, and the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates produces another 0.25–0.4 L^[3]. Thus, a person needs to drink approximately 2–3 L of water per day. These assumptions are limited by the condition of the subject, including personal health and physical exercise, but are also affected by temperature and humidity. For a long term functional urinary tract, about 1–2 L have to be produced per day (300-400 mL/urination, ~4 urinations/day), and the according intake has to be sustained, depending on the environmental conditions.

How Vivatap works

The free chlorine (hydrochloric acid and hydrochloric ion) and combined chlorine (free chlorine which has reacted with ammonia, forming chloramines) will instantly be converted into salts, ions, hydrochloric acid (natural part of the stomach acid) etc when the water is treated with Vivatap. Therefore the bad chlorine taste and smell will disappear.

We recommend people drink their Vivatap-treated water within 24 hours. If the Vivatap sachet is in the drinking water container for more than 24 hours, the flavour of the water can be too strong for some people. The good effect on chlorine and bacteria will still remain after 24 hours if the sachet remains in the water.

We strongly stress that Vivatap is intended for use in drinking water (usually tap water), and not for treating unknown water which we do not know is drinkable, and of course not for polluted water. Vivatap is a water improving agent (not purifier, although it has purifying effects),

Your Health and tap water

Chlorine and your tap water

Chlorine has been hailed as the savior against cholera and various other water-borne diseases.

Its disinfectant qualities and economy of production have allowed communities and whole cities to grow and prosper by providing disease-free tap water to homes and industry. Some people have grown-up on tap water, and believe the taste of chlorine signifies purity and safety. Well, not necessarily so.

Chlorine is, essentially, bleach. And what comes out of most municipally delivered taps is, quite actually, a mild bleach solution. Is it healthy to drink bleach? Does your body require any certain amount of chlorine to remain healthy? Most certainly not.

Chlorine in tap water is dangerous, researchers worldwide agree. The chemical, which is added to drinking water to kill bacteria, is linked to cancer, birth defects and low sperm counts in men. According to ongoing research, trihalomethanes, a group of chemicals formed in drinking water during treatment by chlorine may be responsible for the health side-effects.

The municipalities are stuck. Environmental and public safety laws require most to maintain a chlorine residual throughout the water main delivery system. This is to retain disinfecting properties in the event of groundwater infiltration and other contaminations. Complaining to your local water department about the taste and odour will accomplish nothing. Chances are, they're doing their best, and meeting the laws. The most practical solution to the problem is for you to remove the chlorine yourself.

‘How?’ you might ask. There is a product available that can do this in 3 easy steps, and it is very cost efficient too... Vivatap