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Trinity Marrisett

Mr. King

English 1 Honors

10/18/18

Clean Water and Sanitation

The great big land mass we call earth contains about 326 million trillion gallons of water.

(Perlman, Howard) With all this water, there should be enough to go around right……….wrong!

Out of 362 million trillion gallons of water only 2.5% is freshwater (National Geographic)! On

the earth there are over 7.6 billion people living (Current World Population), and they each need

to consume approximately half a gallon for drinking water alone. This small amount of available

drinking water naturally allows for the shortage of water for selective people. This essential

contributor to human life being so scarce has become a global issue.

It has become a top priority for many organizations to try and resolve the dilemma of

clean water and sanitation. One of the main reasons it has become so important is because human

life cannot be sustained without water. 3 in 10 people around the globe do not have access to

clean drinking water. (United Nations). The human body can only go 3-5 days without water,

before irreversible damage can take place. (Page Water). This makes for a crisis that has

gathered the attention from the United Nations. The lack of water also tends to go hand in hand

with the absence of sanitation. 2.4 billion people don’t have access to basic sanitation services,

such as toilets, and drainage systems (United Nations). Not having sanitation allows for

uncleanliness and enhances the ability for germs to spread of germs, and waste causing sickness

to occur faster. Clean water and sanitation limits the likelihood of these things occurring.
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Not only can water affect the health of humans, it can also stunt the growth advancements

in the world. Most of the countries that don’t have clean water and sanitation, are third world

countries. One of the main reasons that they are third world countries, is because of their lack of

access to innovation such as clean water and technology. The people who don’t have attainable

water for their everyday needs, don’t have time to focus on education. They are more focused on

traveling for miles, to obtain drinkable water. This stunts their innovation and economic growth.

Ecosystems are also harmed by the insufficient water and sanitation available. 80% of the

wastewater used in first world countries is discharged into water systems that allow for wide

scale pollution (This Janmashtami). This contaminates water systems, kills aquatic wildlife, and

destroys ecosystems.

Many complications stem from the lack, and overuse of water. That is why extensive

research and scientific experiments are being carried out, to try and solve the complication of

clean water and sanitation. United Kingdom Scientists are working towards utilizing, and

researching peatlands. If they become successful, there will be 68% more water available for

humans around the globe (UK Water Security). Along with that, the World Water Assessment

Programme is an organization dedicated to finding a permanent solution. (WWAP) They take

donations for research. They also hold national days such as World Water Day and World Toilet

Day. The purpose of these days are to raise awareness of the issues. During these days the

organizations also do educational campaigns and other activities to promote consciousness to the

public.
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Clean Water is an issue that affects 2.4 billion people each day (United Nations).

Water is a human necessity, and the world can not advance without it. Throughout history,

civilizations have thrived because of their access to water. It has been proven biologically and

economically that water is one of the most important necessities in the world. That is why so

many people are devoting their lives to fix a colorless, transparent, odorless, liquid.

Geographic, National. “Competing for Clean Water Has Led to a Crisis.” Clean Water Crisis
Facts and Information, National Geographic, 27 Jan. 2017,
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/?user.testname=none.

This Janmashtami, Livpure urges not to waste but save water." Adgully, 4 Sept. 2018. General
OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A552860103/ITOF?u=ncowl&sid=ITOF&xid=92f15dcd.
Accessed 16 Oct. 2018.

“Current World Population.” World Population Clock: 7.7 Billion People (2018) -
Worldometers, 2018, www.worldometers.info/world-population/.

"Peatland contributions to UK water security." Space Daily, 26 May 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540386195/ITOF?u=ncowl&sid=ITOF&xid=41bf2385.
Accessed 16 Oct. 2018.

World Water Assessment “World Water Assessment Programme (UNESCO WWAP).” World
Water Assessment Programme | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, 2011, www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/.

Nations, United. “United Nations Clean Water and Sanitation.” United Nations,
www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Goal-6.pdf.

Perlman, Howard, and USGS. “How Much Water Is There on, in, and above the Earth?” How
Much Water Is There on Earth, from the USGS Water Science School,
water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html.

Page, Water. “How Long Can You Live without Water?” How Long Can You Live Without
Water?, www.thewaterpage.com/live-without-water.htm.
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