Precision21

Over 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to a safe water supply. In many developing countries, water can be scarce and sanitation resources are not available for adequate access to clean water. Millions of children and women spend hours a day just collecting a small supply of water for their family’s use. On the other hand, the average American uses about 80 – 100 gallons of water per day. With so much water seemingly available, it is easy to forget the scarcity of this natural resource.

Even so, Southern California is facing a water supply shortage for the third year in a row, according to the LADWP. Conservation is in full effect as customers are expected to cut back 15% of their water usage. Customers will be charged a higher rate per gallon if they go over the allotted amount. This shortage is nothing compared to what occupants of third world countries face on a daily basis.

According to the World Health Organization, 3.6 million people die a year from water-related disease. 98% of these deaths occur in developing countries. There are many organizations that provide aid and relief to individuals who do not have access to safe drinking water. One hundred percent of donations given to the Water Project is used in funding water projects in Kenya, Zambia, India and Cameroon. In addition, UNICEF Water and Sanitation provides aid in 90 countries worldwide.

While looking at water statistics, I came across an interesting invention – the LifeStraw. The LifeStraw is a portable water purifier that removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, 99.99% of viruses and 99.9% of parasites from a water source. It is a large plastic tube that is used like a straw. Water sucked through the LifeStraw passes mesh and a carbon chamber that cleans it. Used like a conventional straw, the LifeStraw costs around $5 and can filter up to 700 liters of water, approximately one year of water consumption for one person. This ingenious invention can possibly help the millions that are suffering from a lack of safe water. LifeStraw’s goal is to reduce that number by half by the year 2015.

It is important to be aware of the needs for water conservation. Whether it is cutting back on the number of days you water your lawn or taking shorter showers, conversation doesn’t hurt. Even though we may not directly feel the effects, wasting water is unnecessary and it will have negative consequences for generations to come.