Water: we once thought it was an endless natural resource. Now we know better.
- Over 1.5 billion people do not have access to clean, safe water.
- Almost 4 million people die each year from water related diseases.
- Unsafe water is the biggest killer of children under five; around 90% of all diarrheal deaths are in this age group.
- The recommended daily water requirement for sanitation, bathing, cooking and consumption is approximately 50 liters per person per day.
- It takes over 11,000 liters of water to produce a pound of coffee.
- It takes about 300 liters of water to make the paper for just one Sunday newspaper.
- Drilling a fresh water well can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to over $40,000.
- A five minute shower in an American household will use more water than a person living in a developing world slum will use in a whole day.
- In India alone, water born diseases cost the economy 73 million working days per year.
- In a typical year in Africa 5–10 times the number of people die from diarrhea than from war.
- A child dies of water born diseases about every 15 seconds (that’s about 12 children just since you started reading this article). By this time tomorrow, another 2,500 will be dead.
- In Sub-Saharan Africa women spend on average 16 hours a week collecting water.
