Posted on 1 Comment

Access to Clean Water: A Human Right but Not a Guarantee

An Issue Globally

Access to clean water is essential to our health and well-being. A lot of us take for granted that we will have clean water when we turn on the tap. Unfortunately, this isn’t true for many people around the world.

In this month’s empathy section of the THiNK OUTSiDE booklet, we learned that a lack of safe drinking water impacts 1 out of 9 people globally.  We learned that millions of people in developing countries must walk several hours a day to collect drinkable water.

An Issue in the United States

But lack of clean water is an issue that is closer to home than you may realize. According to research done by the US Water Alliance and DigDeep, 2 million people in the U.S. lack running water and basic indoor plumbing. Additionally, 44 million people don’t have clean water that is safe to drink.

You probably have heard of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan that started in 2014 when the city’s water was contaminated with lead. And maybe you’ve heard the story of Erin Brockovich and the fight she helped the residents of Hinkley, California win against Pacific Gas & Electric in the 1990’s over contaminated groundwater supplies. But did you know that there are still many fights going on today in the United States where citizens do not have access to clean water?

Ongoing Problems

The battle for clean water is far from over. The DigDeep Report outlines six of the ongoing cases in the United States today – Tulare County, California; Navajo Nation; Texas Colonias; Rural South; Appalachia; and Puerto Rico.

These crises most often impact vulnerable communities where proper investment in water and wastewater infrastructure has not been made. Many of those impacted are people of color, people living in rural areas, and people living below the poverty line. Lack of clean water and sanitation exacerbates the economic problems of the areas.

Some of the communities were never connected to water and wastewater systems forcing them to use well water and septic systems. Others face unreliable water and wastewater systems. In many cases the groundwater is contaminated from farm runoff, pesticides, pollutants from mining and leaking septic systems. More frequent droughts also threaten the availability of water. Septic systems often back up causing wastewater to overflow into showers, sinks, toilets and yards contaminating water and making indoor plumbing unusable.

The people of these communities are faced with using unsafe water, buying expensive bottled water, driving long distances to attain water and surviving off of as little as 2-3 gallons of water per day.

Finding Solutions

Everyone deserves access to clean water. It is a basic human right. Safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030 is goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.

Many organizations in the United States and worldwide are working on solutions to providing clean water and sanitation. It will take all of us recognizing this as a crisis, expanding funding to provide infrastructure to more communities, creating alternative solutions where traditional water and wastewater systems are not feasible, and working together as communities to help those in need.

What can i do to help?

  • Educate yourself and tell others what you’ve learned. The US Water Alliance and DigDeep websites are good places to start.
  • Try the #4Liters Challenge with DigDeep and learn what it is like to live in water poverty by using only 4 liters of water for 24 hours.
  • Use these EPA Water Conservation Tips to conserve water in your own home.
  • Hold a fundraiser for an organization working towards water security. Ask for donations for your birthday, put up a lemonade (or water?) stand, sell drawings you’ve done. Be creative. Every little bit helps!
  • Volunteer with your local watershed association working to keep your waterways clean.
  • Write to your elected officials to advocate for fair access to water for all.

We are small compared to the world around us, but we can have a BiG impact!

1 thought on “Access to Clean Water: A Human Right but Not a Guarantee

  1. Drinking water resembles cleaning out your internal parts. The water will purify the framework, top you off, decline your caloric load and work on the capacity of every one of your tissues.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.