“Water” You Doing?
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Image: Merinews
Yesterday was the international observance of World Water Day and this week is World Water Week. To celebrate and increase awareness of the global water problem, several local restaurants (including six in VA) will participate in the UNICEF Tap Project from March 21-27. Restaurants are asking that customers donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free.
According to “Sick Water?”, a report on wastewater management from the United Nations, more people die from polluted water than wars. Former World Bank Vice President, Ismail Serageldin, believes that “wars in the 21st century will be fought over water.” Domestic battles over water are not to be spared.
The UN report also states that much of the wastewater is a result of industrial, animal, agricultural, fertilizer, and sewage run-off. What’s worse is that 10% of the world’s population is eating food that is grown using wastewater for irrigation and fertilizer. It’s not only damaging ecosystems but affects human and animal health, spreading disease. In fact, 1.8 million children under the age of five die each year from water related diseases. That’s 20 children per second.
Considering agriculture is the single largest user of water, there is a whole chapter dedicated to wastewater, food security, and production. While most of the water is recycled through the system, the majority becomes contaminated along the way.
According to UNICEF, one out of every five people around the world lack safe drinking water and one out of every two people does not have a sanitary toilet. In the US, 10% of Americans don’t have access to clean drinking water.
While some may think bottled water is the answer, the majority of bottled water is tap water, which seems to have a few problems of its own. While DC residents complain of the chlorine smell, it’s much better than ingesting bacteria.
The truth about bottled water will be exposed when the director and producer of the documentary “Tapped” visit Busboys and Poets on April 19th. The two women will stop in 30 cities nationwide where they will collect pledges from people willing to reduce their bottled water usage. That same day people can also trade empty plastic bottles of water for a Klean Kanteen–a refillable water container.
(Video: Tapped)
Plastic is a huge contributor to the largest garbage patch in the ocean in the North Pacific Gyre of the Pacific Ocean—it’s about the size of Texas and floats between Hawaii and San Francisco.
A great way to help reduce water waste is by following The Nature Conservancy water conservation tips.
To learn more about the water crisis, you can catch water-related films at the Environmental Film Festival; several excerpts will be shown today during the ‘Program on Global Water Issues’ at the Carnegie Institution for Science in DC. You can also join in activities on the Hill today.
For information about Virginia water quality, visit the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Each January the state publishes its “Reduction of Toxics in State Water Report” to summarize and inform the General Assembly of its efforts to reduce toxic products in within Virginia’s waters.
So, water you doing to help??
–Aisha Salazar
Tags: Aisha Salazar, Busboys and Poets, DC, disease, drinking water, food, Gut Check, Northern Virginia Magazine, restaurants, safe, Sick Water, Tap Project, Tapped, UN, UNICEF, Virginia, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, wastewater, water, World Water Day, World Water Week