You probably drink several glasses of water every day. Why wouldn’t you? Millions of people do the same thing every single day. But while we enjoy this easily-accessible resource that many people take for granted, there are more than 600 million people worldwide who lack access to clean drinking water. World Water Day, observed every March 22^nd, is held to bring awareness to this global crisis. For these individuals, a safe water supply is either extremely far from home, or worse, there is no access to a safe water supply. In either case, the impact this has on their quality of life is monumental.

Water is the basic building block of life, and without it, life expectancy and quality of life are drastically reduced. At Culligan, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with clean, safe drinking water, so needless to say, we are enthusiastic supporters of World Water Day – and you should be too!

How It All Started

Providing clean and sustainable drinking water for everyone is one of the sustainable development goals championed by the United Nations. Unfortunately, water consumption demands can place a heavy burden on developing nations, and proper wastewater treatment is often lacking in these countries as well, which further compounds the local water crisis. This issue was the inspiration for the creation of World Water Day in 1993. Originally discussed and proposed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the first official World Water Day was designated as March 22, 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly, and it has been held on this date ever since.

Why You Should Care

The themes and goals of World Water Day affect us all, both directly and indirectly. One of the primary goals of World Water Day is providing for the needs of those without access to clean drinking water. But the day is also intended to bring awareness to the dangers of water pollution on the environment, the loss of nutrients through water runoff, how we can reduce our need for water in our daily lives, and the benefits of water reclamation. All of these issues are critical because we all share the same planet, which means we share ecosystems and resources too. The water crisis isn’t a localized problem – it’s a problem that all humans face and that we all must work together to combat. Getting involved in World Water Day is the first step.

Get Involved!

There are a number of ways you can help make a difference. If you would like to directly help those in need, you can donate water or support initiatives that focus on making clean water accessible to all. Here at Culligan, we make it easy to donate water to those in need; and organizations like Charity: Water, The Water Project, and World Vision offer similar initiatives. You can also help by attending an official World Water Day event – held around the world – or spreading the word through social media or in person. The important thing is that you do something. We all have the power to make a difference. Whether it’s a significant change or a small, gradual adjustment, remember that every little bit helps.