Safe, Clean Drinking Water Defines Civilization

Access to clean, safe and secure water resources is an essential prerequisite for communities to prosper. Sadly, this is far from the reality for many of the poorest people around the world who do not have access to improved sanitation and safe water supplies. The statistics are staggering and highlight the need for improved access to clean water: 650 million people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water; 2.3 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation; and 500,000 children die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. Living in a privileged country, I can't fathom what it is like for a parent to struggle with the frustration of being unable to provide clean water for their children, or the grief of losing a child to preventable water-borne disease. There is an expectation in the developed world that we can turn on the faucet at any time and be assured that water will flow and that this water is free of contamination. We simply need to do more to provide everybody access to clean drinking water and sanitation. Water access is a fundamental human right. Having safe water piped to the house or village maintains healthy populations but also reduces the need to cart water over long distances. This frees up time for more productive pursuits, such as attendance at school for children and enabling adults more time to work or raise a family. Separating waste-water from drinking water has seen enormous improvements in human he...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news