For many of us living in the U.S., it’s difficult to imagine not having access to water any time we need it. We go to the sink, turn on the faucet, and water is readily available to us. And, better yet, the water is safe and we don’t have to worry that it will make us sick.
People living in the communities we serve around the world are not as fortunate. When they get up in the morning, the first task of the day for the women and children in the family is to go get water. Their water source may be a bore hole (which is a big hole in the ground that fills up with rain water), a pond or stream, or a well, and it may be miles from where they are living.
When we think about people living without access to water, we think about those in the developing world. However, the US Water Alliance and Dig Deep have identified there are two million individuals who experience lack of access to adequate drinking water and sanitation here in the US. Black, Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, and low-income communities are more likely to experience this lack of water and sanitation than are white or affluent communities.*
October 20th is “Imagine a Day Without Water,” a national day of action bringing together communities and policymakers to advance greater and more equitable water investment. When a community experiences water contamination or shortages, they have no water to drink, prepare meals, bathe their children, wash their hands, flush the toilet, or do laundry. Firefighters can’t put out fires, and farmers cannot water their crops. Hospitals would close without water.*
*Information gathered from www.imagineadaywithoutwater.org.
WaterStep responds daily to those living in the developing world without access to safe water. We also respond here at home when disaster strikes with our Water on Wheels (WOW) Carts which are mini-water treatment plants on wheels that provide safe water, sanitation and power to communities affected by disasters.
Thank you to all of you who have joined WaterStep Nation and support our efforts to save lives with safe water around the world.
Take a moment today and imagine living without that readily available water coming out of your kitchen faucet. How can you make an impact for those living without that luxury?
