The World Water Crisis

When you think about the issues facing developing countries, do you think that contaminated water is the #1 cause of death? When I heard this I was shocked. Bad water kills people: cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, dysentery, guinea worm and more. Over a billion people today do not have access to safe water.

Less than 1% of the earth's water is fresh water, and only about one-third of this 1% is available for human use. Unfortunately, almost all of this water is contaminated. According to USA Today "More people die each year from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war."

Even those who have access to wells are not safe. Often these wells are contaminated by seeping surface water and pit latrines. One person in six lives without regular access to safe drinking water.

In the developing world, contaminated water accounts for 80% of all diseases and claims the lives of 5 million children a year.

Current water technologies are ineffective, unpractical, or too expensive. This is unacceptable in an era when we can put a man on the moon and make cars run on cow dung.

Chlorination is the only disinfection technology that effectively disinfects from the point of introduction all the way through the piping system to the tap as well as storage containers. Purifiers are in use in many developing nations, including Zambia, Kenya, Thailand and India. It's a matter of getting these purifiers installed, which takes some technology, but it seems this would be money well spent if it reduced disease. In Lingira, 90% of all families suffered from diarrhea during the rainy season. Since the water purifier was installed a local health worker says she hardly every sees diarrhea related illnesses.

This is another one of those stories that you hear very little about. It's not something that gets much attention, or apparently, much money. Safe water can be provided for as little as $1 per person per year. Treating a single case of a waterborne disease will cost more than providing safe water for a village for a whole year. Why isn't anyone doing anything about this problem?