Mas Agua, Mas Vida 

“More Water, More Life” 

I wake up in the morning and walk into the bathroom.  I use the restroom (and do not flush-“if it’s yellow…let it mellow”), then I turn the facet on and wash my face and brush my teeth.  Then I turn the shower on and take a soothing 5 minute shower. I put on clean clothes that were washed in my washing machine with water. After that, I move to the kitchen and poor a glass of filtered water from my Brita.  Then I fill my large water bottle with filtered water and off to work I go. 

This is just my morning!  All of this was completed with CLEAN, SAFE water!  We completely take water for granted in our country. We have the ability to turn on our facets and run clean water, or have the means to filter it in a container such as a Brita filter. Yes, we pay for this necessity, but we are able to. It is not a luxury to have clean water and it shouldn’t be.    

Not everyone around the world can say this.  Other countries do not have the means to clean water.  They may have a water source that is not safe, but they use it anyway because there is no option.  Some wait weeks for a clean water supply to be brought in.  They have to ration the water that they have not knowing when more will come.  Others have to walk far to find clean water.  Many people die of diseases they get from drinking unsafe water.  None of this information is new, however, we must ask ourselves, “why is this happening”.  How is it that I can have clean water and our stores are stocked with many choices of clean water and others go without??? 

One reason that we have water shortages in the world is due to bottled water!  Millions of people drink water out of a bottle that has been sold to them.  They believe that it is safer or cleaner.  Bottled water is a BILLION dollar industry.  Yes, billions spent buying water when others do not have access to clean water.  

There is 3 times as much spent on bottled water than it would cost to provide clean water worldwide!   

How is this possible?  Privatizing water.  There are three companies that own most of the bottled water companies.  They are Coke, Pepsi and Nestle (Nestle alone owns over 70 water companies).  They care more about their profits than providing water for the world.  These companies go into to countries that have rivers, lakes, water sources.  Then they relocate the people living off the area and begin production of making our bottles of water.  The water then travels from the stream, through steel pipes and chemicals to “purify” it, into a plastic bottle, onto a truck, onto a store shelf until it is purchased at $8 a case.  The bottle is then returned to a landfill.  All of this for profit and use by the fortunate people who can afford to buy water.  Those who are poor are not benefited at all.  There water is stolen and returned to them at a cost they can not afford.  It is a lose lose situation! 

You may be thinking that this is terrible, but  it does not affect me.  (you probably are not, but some people think that..I used to)  However, it is said that in 2050 water shortages will be worldwide and that it will cost so much to everyone, that it will be a commodity.  It is also said that California only has twenty years left of clean water!  Hmmm..hitting close to home! There are things you can do to help… 

If you want these companies to continue to flourish and the executives to have lots of money, then continue to buy bottled water and hopefully you will be able to afford it when the time comes that it is the only clean water that we have.  If you care about the global water crisis and wish for all to have access to water, the first step is to stop buying bottled water.  Do not support these companies and do not add to the landfill.  

Remember that water is precious! 

-Take shorter showers 

– If it’s yellow let it mellow- Americans flush 2.5 trillion gallons of water down the toilet a year! 

-Drink tap water and filter if necessary 

-Combine laundry for larger, fewer loads (same with dishes) 

Please pay attention to your water usage.  Think about where your money is going and what it is supporting.  This is not a sad commercial, this is the truth.  People are suffering worldwide and we have NO IDEA how to relate.  We can contribute to helping though.  Check out the FLOW website for great organizations that help purify water for the needy at little to no cost to them.  Please take the time to sign the petition for Article 31 that is establishing access to water is a fundamental human right.  Clean water should not be about money, it should not be a luxury.  

Take action now, before it is too late!