Senate Has Chance to Bring Clean Water to 100 Million People for the First Time

Washington, D.C.-More than 100,000 ONE members called on Senators to provide first time  clean water and sanitation for the world’s poorest people by cosponsoring the Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act of 2009 (S. 624).

ONE delivered petitions to Capitol Hill yesterday signed by ONE members from across the country in support of this critical bill, which will put American ingenuity and resources behind the global effort to bring clean water to the 884 million people who struggle to survive without access to this basic need.

This bipartisan bill, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bob Corker (R-TN), is currently stalled in the Committee on Foreign Relations and needs more cosponsors in order to get the attention of Senate leaders.

The bill will help provide 100 million people with sustainable access to clean water and sanitation by the year 2015 through targeting developing countries with focused initiatives to improve access both affordably and efficiently.

“Clean water is the most basic of human needs, yet nearly one billion people still lack it around the world,” said Tom Hart, ONE’s Director of Government Relations. “Lack of clean water leads to disease, children out of school and stifled economies. The good news is we know how to fix it. We know how to provide clean water. The Water for the World Act would be a major step, giving 100 million people access to clean water for the first time. ONE calls on Senators to cosponsor this important bill.”

The bill builds on the success of ongoing U.S. efforts-in large part spurred on by a previous bill, the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005-which have delivered tremendous results. Last year alone, the United States helped provide nearly two million people with access to an improved source of drinking water for the first time and more than 1.5 million people to improved sanitation.

Despite these successes, experts agree that water will continue to be one of the world’s most pressing problems over the next century. As many as 2.5 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation services. Inadequate water and sanitation contributes to nearly 10 percent of the world’s disease and more than 2 million deaths each year.

Beyond disease, when water is unavailable, tensions grow both within and among nations, and water scarcity has contributed to political unrest in Sudan and other countries. Lack of water also has educational ramifications. Many women and girls in developing countries spend much of their days gathering water for their families, walking 3.5 miles on average each day to collect water. Girls may often drop out of primary school because their schools lack separate toilets and easy access to safe water. And economically, every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates the equivalent of $8 in saved time, increased productivity, and reduced health care costs. Meeting the water and sanitation targets set out through the Millennium Development Goals could save sub-Saharan Africa $22 billion each year.

The Water for the World Act of 2009 is a critical step toward providing access to clean water for all those around the world who need it.