Inspire, Spring 1992

A News Publication for Cedarville College Alumni E1TING11 TAKES Spring 1992 bacteria...[and] remove the chlorine as well as organics from their drinking water." What Mel called a token endeavor was big newsfor the media. Mel and Doris were part ofa news conference which involved reporters from Moscow as well as local TV people. A correspondent from the Soviet news agency Tass also interviewed them. The Soviets had held over 100 conferences on the water crisis situation. "But,"says Mel,"they couldn't understand someone coming from the United States and donating equipment to help them solve their problem." Mel continues,"My desire is to return with some creative way to help solve the drinking water problem."Currently he is working on a plan to assemble water conditioning equipment in Uzbekistan using both Russian and U.S. materials. "Perhaps through a U.S.-based consortium or philanthropic organization,something can be done."He sees this project as"a means ofsaving lives and improving the quality oflife of an impoverished people." Mel believes that,"In the former Soviet Union,freedom and a market-driven economy will slowly bury the sad results of72 years oftotalitarian government." Mel and Doris Entingh findjoy in demonstrating Christ's compassion in a broken world. Mel Entingh '55 started his water conditioning business while he was a Cedarville student and moved it to Dayton after graduation. Enting Water Conditioning Company, Inc. manufactures water conditioning products and markets them internationally. Mel and Doris have five children: Dan'77N,Yvonne,Andrea(Entingh '81N)Whitaker, Karen (Entingh '84)Eastham,and Cheryl(Entingh'88N)Fleetwood. Dan, Karen, and Andrea's husband, Brian Whitaker'79 work for the company. S ince the breakup ofthe Soviet Union,the names ofthe 15 former republics are almost becoming household words. However,few Americans had heard of Uzbekistan in 1990 when Soviet officials invited Mel Entingh '55 to speak at a conference there. The Soviets were seeking Mel's expertise on water conditioning in their quest to save the dying Aral Sea region.Once the size ofLake Superior and supporting a thriving fishing industry,the Aral Sea is drying up with disastrous results. Back in 1969 the Soviet government decided to divert waterfrom the two rivers on which the Aral Sea is totally dependent. The region is very arid with only about two inches ofrainfall a year, but the government wanted to use the water to grow cotton,providejobs,and increase revenue. Now the remaining water is badly contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, and nitrates from the excessive use of fertilizers. Farmers also use DDT extensively. Dust leftfrom the receding waters is saturated with chemicals and fills the air. Because ofthe environment, about ten per cent ofthe children do not survive their first year oflife. In October 1990 Mel and his wife, Doris'57N,flew to Moscow and then to Nukus,Uzbekistan, where Mel delivered his presentation. Mel says,"We had brought with us a 150 gallon-per-day reverse osmosis purifier expressly to give to a children's hospital we were told that we would be visiting." He continues,"We also rigged a method to