Thinking About Water

Our latest social justice & advocacy campaign at church is water and sanitation. We're encouraging people to take action by putting pressure on world leaders, who are meeting in Washington DC this April, to place water and sanitation higher on the development agenda. This is part of Water Aid's Water Works campaign, summed up in this brilliant little video:



As you can see, access to clean, safe water has far-reaching benefits, yet it is such a simple initiative.

The campaign is also asking people to post photos of what water means to them, to show just how important clean and safe water systems are. You can find out more on their website: http://www.waterworks.me/.

This has got me thinking about what water does indeed mean to me. I take water, and the constant supply of it, completely for granted. Drinks, washing, cleaning, gardening, food preparation - I use it everyday and rarely stop to think about how privileged I am to have safe, running water on demand.

This campaign comes when our region is facing a 'water crisis' due to two consecutive dry winters. A hosepipe ban is predicted and a the water companies have got a campaign underway to encourage us all to use less water. That's all very well, but I object to the term, 'crisis'. It simply isn't representative of our minor irritation compared to the serious water and drought problems that occur in other parts of the world.

The Water Works campaign vs our media's scaremongering has given me much food for thought. I believe I do need to be more conscious of how much water I am using on a daily basis. It's common sense, because water is truly a precious commodity. But it's also made me stop and be thankful for what I have.

When we stayed on the favela in Brazil I learnt just how little I ever thought about my water use back at home. One of our host families had seven of us staying in their tiny house for three nights, and they provided the meals for the entire team (fifteen in total). Water was delivered by the government about twice a week, and there was a butt on the roof to collect rainwater, which the shower was connected to. The toilet could only be flushed by pouring a bucket of water down it. Obviously this was quite different to what we were used to, but I think we all thought we could cope just fine.

On the first night a group of us did the washing up after dinner, to thank our host family for a delicious meal. On the second night our host mother insisted that she should clean the dishes instead. We thought that she was being too kind, but after some translating we realised that she was politely trying to tell us that we had used too much water the night before! We had just used as much as we pleased, like we would at home, without really thinking about how limited it was. Having seven of us use the shower and toilet for three whole days must have been a huge sacrifice for them. They never once complained but they did guide us on how to be sensible with what we used.

It was definitely an eye-opening experience, and whilst it still challenges me now to be conscientious with how much water I use (even though I fail dismally), it also serves as a reminder of how we've got it made, even with an inconvenient 'drought' to look forward to this summer. Hot and cold water on demand, power showers, clean drinking water direct from the tap, flushing toilets, as well as plenty of water for pleasure, such as fountains and other pretty things.

The contrast of any 'water problem' in the UK to some other countries is sobering indeed. It is a disgrace that so many children in Africa die as a result of diarrhoea everyday. As the Water Works campaign points out, water sanitation is simple, effective, and cheap. With the correct systems in place diarrhoea is preventable, and there are numerous other benefits. Clean, safe water is a basic human need. Let us be grateful that we have it, and let us push for others to have the same!