# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How many people have access to clean and safe water? Where do they get it from, and how much do they pay for it? A new report by the World Health Organisation/Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme delves into data on drinking water from the last 17 years to give a detailed view of the state of access to drinking water today.

It also examines how the current situation matches up to the vision for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water - set out by the sustainable development goals (SDGs). It considers gaps in the data and what we still need to know to achieve universal access.

1 | Billions of people have gained access to water, but huge inequalities remain

Since 1990, 2.6 billion people have gained access to an "improved" drinking water source, one that is designed to protect against contamination. But in 2015, 663 million people - one in 10 - still drank water from unprotected sources. Huge inequalities persist between and within countries; almost half of people drinking water from unprotected sources live in sub-Saharan Africa, eight in 10 live in rural areas, and there are large gaps between the richest and the poorest.
In 41 countries, a fifth of people drink water from a source that is not protected from contamination
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to achieve access for everyone, but we need more and better data on drinking water to ensure no one is left behind.

2 | Collecting water is still a major burden, especially in sub-Saharan Africa

In most countries, the majority of people spend less than 30 minutes collecting water, or have a piped supply within their home. But in some regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, many people spend more than 30 minutes - and some more than an hour - on each trip to collect water. This burden still falls mainly on women and girls - they are responsible for this task in eight in 10 households that don't have a piped supply.
Mongolia is the only country where men and boys have primary responsibility for collecting water
Reducing collection times and increasing the number of people who have water sources within their home will be crucial in achieving other goals related to poverty, health, education and gender equality.

3 | In many parts of the world water is not available all day, every day

In many countries, households are asked whether their supply of water meets their needs, or for how many hours water is available each day. Existing data shows this availability varies widely between and within countries.
In some provinces of South Africa, water supply in 60% of households has been interrupted for two days or more
In South Africa in 2014, a fifth of households with municipal piped water had interruptions that lasted for more than two days. This was three times higher in some regions of the country. Few countries have water available continuously, but in many parts of the world a less than 24-hour supply is still considered sufficient. Countries use a wide range of different measures to assess availability and these must match up so that comparisons of service levels can be made across countries and over time.
In Nepal, 91% of the population drink from an improved water source, but E.coli has still been detected
4 | Some sources protect against contamination, but it still might not be safe to drink the water

To be considered "safe", a source of drinking water must be free from pathogens and high levels of harmful substances. Globally, the main health concern is faecal contamination, which is identified by the presence of bacteria such as E.coli. In many places, a water point is designed to protect against contamination, but the water from it might still have traces of E.coli - the groundwater may be contaminated by faulty latrines, or the containers people use to carry and store water may contain traces of the bacteria.

We need to invest more in low-cost techniques to test the quality of water people drink, especially for those who are not connected to regulated piped networks.
In Tanzania, 10% of the population spend more than 5% of their expenditure on drinking water
5 | People spend different amounts on water, but we don't know what they think is affordable
Tom Slaymaker is a senior statistics and monitoring specialist and Robert Bain is a statistics and monitoring specialist at Unicef. Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas. Download the full report here.
Thanks to income and spending surveys, we know what people pay for water and sanitation varies from country to country. Data do not always capture the full costs of such services, such as the price to drill a borehole or get a household connection in the first place. We don't know if paying for water and sanitation will prevent people from getting access to them in the first place, or whether people think the amount they pay already is affordable.

Recording and comparing spending will be an important step towards working out whether drinking water services are affordable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to drinking water around the world - in five infographics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Billions of people have gained access to clean and safe drinking water since 1990, but data show that huge inequalities remain

# data[].attributes.headline
water is cool and polluted water is not cool

# data[].attributes.subject
water is cool and polluted water is not cool

# data[].attributes.body
this shows how much water people get and the safety of it!!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Passport

It's World Water Week. You've heard it before, but if oil dominated the 20th century, water will dominate the 21st. The folks at the International Water Management Institute have put out a new report, and while they stress that the world isn't running out of water, they do want to alarm you. In case you ...

It's World Water Week. You've heard it before, but if oil dominated the 20th century, water will dominate the 21st. The folks at the International Water Management Institute have put out a new report, and while they stress that the world isn't running out of water, they do want to alarm you. In case you didn't know, there is a world water crisis. And it's largely because our diets are changing.

Check out these stats:

Imagine a channel of water a meter deep, a kilometre wide, and 7 million kilometres long-long enough to encircle the globe 180 times. That's the prodigious amount of water it takes each year to produce 3,000 calories of food a day for each of the world's 6.1 billion people.

Broken down into smaller quantities, a calorie of food takes a liter of water to produce. A kilo of grain takes 500-4,000 liters, a kilo of industrially produced meat 10,000 liters. Surprising numbers, indeed. Add 2-3 billion people by 2050 and accommodate their changing diets from cereals to more meat, and that will add another 5 million kilometres to the channel of water needed to feed the world's people. Where will that water come from?

And they've put together this map of water scarcity. FP noted some of the countries highlighted here when we put together a List of impending water crises.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Passport It's World Water Week. You've heard it before, but if oil dominated the 20th century, water will dominate the 21st. The folks at the International Water Management Institute have put out a new report, and while they stress that the world isn't running out of water, they do want to alarm you.

# data[].attributes.body
This website gives very interesting facts about the water availablity around the world. One fact is, "In 41 countries, a fifth of people drink water from a source that is not protected from contamination."
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/mar/17/access-to-drinking-water-world-six-infographics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Water temperature is affected by air temperature, stormwater runoff, groundwater inflows, turbidity, and exposure to sunlight. In considering the health of organisms, it is necessary to consider their maximum temperature and optimum temperature. The maximum temperature is the highest water temperature at which the organism will live for a few hours.

# data[].attributes.body
This is some info on the effects of water pollution around the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Water, water everywhere / Nor any drop to drink." For many people around the world this famous line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" holds grim truth. Rather than the undrinkable sea water of Coleridge's poem, however, people drink, bathe and cook with contaminated water. Sadly, their water isn't safe to drink because of water pollution.

Water pollution comes from point sources or non-point sources. Point sources include factories, sewage pipes and specific spills from pipelines or containers. These point sources have a specific source and can be identified and controlled. Regulation, legislation, monitoring and sewage treatment facilities in the U.S. have greatly reduced water pollution from point sources.

Point sources remain the leading sources of water pollution in other countries, however. An estimated 2 billion people around the world drink water contaminated by feces because no sewage control systems are available. In addition, some high-polluting industries are moving from higher income countries to countries with lower costs and fewer regulations.

Non-point sources, however, do not have a specific point of origin. Runoff from storms and melting snow carry fertilizers, pesticides, oil and gasoline, litter such as plastic bags and animal feces into storm drains, creeks, rivers, lakes and, ultimately, the ocean. In the United States, non-point source pollution has become the main cause of water pollution.
Read more about the kinds of things that pollute water.

Major types of water pollution around the world is caused by microbial pathogens (mostly disease-causing bacteria and viruses), nutrients from fertilizers and feces, heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury, chemicals from roads and industry, and litter. Heat pollution, especially near power plants, can severely impact local ecosystems.

The combined effects of air, land and water pollution cause an estimated 7.4 million deaths around the world each year. An additional one million deaths occur due to direct contact with toxic chemicals.

In developing countries, more than 80% of untreated sewage contaminates creeks, rivers, lakes and coastal areas. In some developing countries as much as 95% of sewage remains untreated. As a result, more than 2 billion people must use water polluted with disease-carrying bacteria and viruses. In 2016, lower respiratory tract infections and diarrheal diseases ranked as the third and fourth leading causes of death around the world, respectively.

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) include bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and bronchiolitis. These infections can be caused by viruses such as the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bacteria like streptococcus and staphylococcus, fungal infections and mycoplasma (small organisms with characteristics of bacteria and viruses).

LRTI prevention includes washing hands frequently, not touching one's face with unwashed hands and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Treatment includes drinking lots of fluids. Unfortunately, water contamination makes these treatment and prevention methods impossible for many people.

In 2015, diarrhea caused 8.6% of deaths of children less than 5 years old. Although diarrheal diseases impact people, especially children, worldwide, areas with poor water quality, poor sanitation and lacking medical facilities remain at highest risk for diarrhea. Cholera, giardia and typhus occur most often where sanitary conditions are poor or nonexistent.

Another effect of water pollution on human populations results from the impact of water contamination on nature. Bioaccumulation occurs as heavy metals like mercury move up through the food chain contaminate shellfish and fish like mackerel, tuna and sharks, exposing consumers to these toxic chemicals. Mercury poses higher health risks to children under 6 and to child-bearing women because it interferes with brain development.

Nutrient pollution due to untreated sewage and fertilizers in runoff often leads to algal blooms in fresh and salt water. Small algal blooms provide food for fish and other aquatic organisms. Large algal blooms, however, deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water, leading to dead zones in aquatic systems.

An estimated 30% of water quality issues in the U.S. are caused by nutrient pollution. Dead zones due to oxygen depletion or eutrophication (too many nutrients due to runoff) range from local ponds to an estimated 7,700 square mile area in the Gulf of Mexico.

Most of the oil pollution in the U.S. comes from the millions of drips from vehicles being washed into waterways. Oil floats on water, cutting off oxygen for plankton. Oil causes tissue damage in coral and coral larvae, causes heart defects in bluefin tuna larvae and other fish and even small amounts of oil impairs the ability of seabirds to fly, swim and dive for food. Beach stranding of sea turtles and dolphins increased after the 2010 Gulf oil spill, suggesting a relationship.

Litter, especially plastic, has become an increasing source of water contamination. From tangling to choking, plastics and other debris adversely impact animals ranging from sea gulls and shellfish to turtles and whales. Besides the physical dangers, plastics introduce toxins into the ecosystem as they decompose or when chemicals in the plastic leach out.

About the Author

Karen earned her Bachelor of Science in geology. She worked as a geologist for ten years before returning to school to earn her multiple subject teaching credential. Karen taught middle school science for over two decades, earning her Master of Arts in Science Education (emphasis in 5-12 geosciences) along the way. Karen now designs and teaches science and STEAM classes.

Photo Credits

Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Effects of Water Pollution Around the World

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Water, water everywhere / Nor any drop to drink." For many people around the world this famous line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" holds grim truth. Rather than the undrinkable sea water of Coleridge's poem, however, people drink, bathe and cook with contaminated water.

# data[].attributes.body
Nate K. P4
did you know that the united states has about 90% clean water, as well as Australia and Russia
favorite
1
Your avatar
Add comment
Arissa Dean - Period 4

# data[].attributes.headline
Website on how much water is clean and dirty.

# data[].attributes.subject
Website on how much water is clean and dirty.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/provide-food-and-water-sustainably/?src=p_g.gd.eg.x&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv8q7rf364gIVCKvsCh2_Qg-5EAAYASAAEgKM7_D_BwE

# data[].attributes.body
Some info on what areas are being affected the most in the world. It explains that it is mostly remote villages, that don't have clean running water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The global water and sanitation crisis impacts poor families in remote villages the most

844 million people live without clean water. 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation.

That's almost one third of the globe that doesn't have a safe place to go to the bathroom, and 1 in 10 without clean water. Most live in remote, unreached places.

Read the Top 10 Water Crisis Facts

Every 60 seconds a child dies from a preventable waterborne disease.

In fact, most deaths of children under five are caused by preventable diseases. The most common contributor? Unsafe water and poor sanitation/hygiene.
7 Most Common Waterborne Diseases (and how to prevent them)

Children miss 443 million days of school each year fetching water and fighting illness.

The water crisis keeps children trapped in a cycle of poverty. They miss school when they are sick, or when schools don't have clean water and safe bathrooms.
Read How Two Students Impacted Their School

More than 25% of new water projects fail in just three years.

Not all water projects are created equal. The UN estimates that in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, between 30-60% of wells have failed (Lifewater wells have a 92% success rate, though).
Why Do Water Projects Fail So Often?

Women and children are regularly exploited and injured on the dangerous journey for water.

Fetching water over long distances and in the dark is dangerous. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. Unfortunately, the work of gathering water usually falls to them.
Read Maureen's Story

You can help end the water crisis.

Providing safe water to rural communities is the #1 most cost-effective way to end poverty.

Support a village water project today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The global water and sanitation crisis impacts poor families in remote villages the most That's almost one third of the globe that doesn't have a safe place to go to the bathroom, and 1 in 10 without clean water. Most live in remote, unreached places.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a map that shows places that are low on water  https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-17775211

# data[].attributes.body
did you know that the united states has about 90% clean water, as well as Australia and Russia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nature Water Map - Access to safe drinking water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Percentage of population with access to safe water by country, 2000

# data[].attributes.body
Shows data on pollution around the globe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Screenshot of map of air pollution levels in 2000 by country. (The Atlantic / theatlantic.com / Angel Hsu and Alisa Zomer)

Images of Beijing and Shanghai's all-encompassing smog are notorious at this point, but air pollution problems are hardly exclusive to China. Paris officials are trying to curb smog by restricting driving based on license plate numbers. Earlier this year, London experienced record levels of pollution, and experts believe that as climate change worsens on a global scale, so too will air pollution.

In March, the World Health Organization released its latest report on the effect air pollution has on global health. According to WHO estimates, in 2012:

Outdoor air pollution caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide, 88 percent of which were in low or middle-income countries.

Of the premature deaths attributed to outdoor air pollution, only 6 percent were related to lung cancer. Rather, 80 percent of the deaths were related to strokes and coronary artery disease.

More than 4 million people died prematurely from indoor air pollution, which is primarily caused by poor ventilation and the use of biomass fuels and coal for heating and cooking.

This interactive map from The Atlantic shows global air pollution levels for the years 2000 through 2012.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Three stats and a map - Images of Beijing and Shanghai's all-encompassing smog are notorious at this point, but air pollution problems are hardly exclusive to China. There is more to the problem than breathing difficulties; air pollution causes premature death.

# data[].attributes.body
Only one percent of the world's water is fresh water and most of it trapped in glaciers and etc. This makes most of the fresh water not easily accessible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The water you drink today has likely been around in one form or another since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago.

While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time-continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups-the population has exploded. This means that every year competition for a clean, copious supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensifies.

Water scarcity is an abstract concept to many and a stark reality for others. It is the result of myriad environmental, political, economic, and social forces.

Freshwater makes up a very small fraction of all water on the planet. While nearly 70 percent of the world is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1 percent of our freshwater is easily accessible, with much of it trapped in glaciers and snowfields. In essence, only 0.007 percent of the planet's water is available to fuel and feed its 6.8 billion people.

Due to geography, climate, engineering, regulation, and competition for resources, some regions seem relatively flush with freshwater, while others face drought and debilitating pollution. In much of the developing world, clean water is either hard to come by or a commodity that requires laborious work or significant currency to obtain.

Water Is Life

Wherever they are, people need water to survive. Not only is the human body 60 percent water, the resource is also essential for producing food, clothing, and computers, moving our waste stream, and keeping us and the environment healthy.

Unfortunately, humans have proved to be inefficient water users. (The average hamburger takes 2,400 liters, or 630 gallons, of water to produce, and many water-intensive crops, such as cotton, are grown in arid regions.)

According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. The challenge we now face as we head into the future is how to effectively conserve, manage, and distribute the water we have.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Competing for Clean Water Has Led to a Crisis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The water you drink today has likely been around in one form or another since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago. While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time-continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups-the population has exploded.

# data[].attributes.body
This shows how many people are living without water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The power of water

Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential - empowering people with time for school and work, and contributing to improved health for women, children, and families around the world.

Today, 2.2 billion people - 1 in 4 - lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people - 2 in 5 - lack access to a safe toilet. These are the people we empower.
Learn more about the global water crisis > Learn more about the global sanitation crisis >

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Water Crisis: Shortage, Problems & Solutions | Water.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the global water crisis, water shortage, and lack of water affecting billions. Learn how Water.org is tackling these water problems to transform lives.

# data[].attributes.body
2.5 billion people dont have good water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Education and information about global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including fast facts and interesting information related to global water.

# data[].attributes.body
In its current state, less than 1% of the Earth's water is usable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The majority of water found on Earth is not drinkable.

It is a common fact that the world is covered in water. In fact, continents are like big islands in expansive oceans. About 75% of the earth is covered in water. There is no shortage of water on earth. The earth boasts of some of the largest water bodies including the oceans, lakes, and rivers that stretch across approximately two-thirds of its surface. However, despite the fact that three-quarters of the Earth are made up of water, less than 3% of the water is fresh, non-saline water. Furthermore, of the existing fresh water, not all of it is available for human consumption.

How Much Freshwater is There on Earth?

As stated above, about 2.5% of the Earth's water is freshwater. Of the fresh water available on earth, only 31% is accessible for use. About 69% of the fresh water is in form of ice cap and glacier in places like the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet, further reducing the quantity of the available drinking water. So, if only 31% of the fresh water is available for drinking, this means 31% of 2.5%=0.00775, which equates to less than 1%. Therefore, less than 1% of the earth's water is drinkable. In some areas, the glacier often melts in summer to provide additional drinking water. However, the amount of water from glacier melt is not sufficient to increase the available fresh water to above 1%.

Where is Available Freshwater Stored?

Almost all the available freshwater (excluding glacier) is groundwater. The groundwater emerges and feeds the streams and saturated wetlands. It acts as a reservoir that can also be tapped for various uses including in agriculture and industries. Groundwater provides approximately 40% of the drinking water.

Another important source of drinking water is the surface freshwater. The surface water is held in lakes, rivers, dams, and streams. Although rivers and dams are critical for water supply, they contain only 1% of the freshwater. About 0.001% of the freshwater is contained in the form of atmospheric vapor, small amount considering its important function in weather. However, the atmospheric waters recycle several times in a year between the atmosphere and the earth's surface, leading to rains and snows. The rains and snow are crucial in replenishing the surface water

How Many People Do Not Have Access to Clean Drinking Water?

Of the less than 1% of the available water for drinking, most of the third world countries do not have the needed resource to provide safe and clean drinkable water to its people. According to 2008 WHO report on Drinkable Water and Sanitation, about 885 million people, translating to an eighth of the world's population, have no access to safe water. About 3.6 million people die annually from diseases resulting from unsafe drinking water.

What is the Future of Fresh Drinking Water?

Although surface water is an important source of drinkable water, surface water depends on several variable precipitation patterns, which makes it unreliable. Protecting and managing the underground and surface water is an essential task in ensuring availability of drinkable water. No one can create more water. But, by managing the water sources and distribution systems, people maximize the available water and make good use out of every drop.

1. Home

2. Environment

3. What Percentage of the Earth's Water Is Drinkable?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Percentage of the Earth's Water Is Drinkable?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is a common fact that the world is covered in water. In fact, continents are like big islands in expansive oceans. About 75% of the earth is covered in water. There is no shortage of water on earth.

# data[].attributes.body
Worlds Percentage With Water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Education and information about global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including fast facts and interesting information related to global water.

# data[].attributes.body
This site shows which country's are suffering most.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How many people have access to clean and safe water? Where do they get it from, and how much do they pay for it? A new report by the World Health Organisation/Unicef Joint Monitoring Programme delves into data on drinking water from the last 17 years to give a detailed view of the state of access to drinking water today.

It also examines how the current situation matches up to the vision for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water - set out by the sustainable development goals (SDGs). It considers gaps in the data and what we still need to know to achieve universal access.

1 | Billions of people have gained access to water, but huge inequalities remain

Since 1990, 2.6 billion people have gained access to an "improved" drinking water source, one that is designed to protect against contamination. But in 2015, 663 million people - one in 10 - still drank water from unprotected sources. Huge inequalities persist between and within countries; almost half of people drinking water from unprotected sources live in sub-Saharan Africa, eight in 10 live in rural areas, and there are large gaps between the richest and the poorest.
In 41 countries, a fifth of people drink water from a source that is not protected from contamination
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to achieve access for everyone, but we need more and better data on drinking water to ensure no one is left behind.

2 | Collecting water is still a major burden, especially in sub-Saharan Africa

In most countries, the majority of people spend less than 30 minutes collecting water, or have a piped supply within their home. But in some regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, many people spend more than 30 minutes - and some more than an hour - on each trip to collect water. This burden still falls mainly on women and girls - they are responsible for this task in eight in 10 households that don't have a piped supply.
Mongolia is the only country where men and boys have primary responsibility for collecting water
Reducing collection times and increasing the number of people who have water sources within their home will be crucial in achieving other goals related to poverty, health, education and gender equality.

3 | In many parts of the world water is not available all day, every day

In many countries, households are asked whether their supply of water meets their needs, or for how many hours water is available each day. Existing data shows this availability varies widely between and within countries.
In some provinces of South Africa, water supply in 60% of households has been interrupted for two days or more
In South Africa in 2014, a fifth of households with municipal piped water had interruptions that lasted for more than two days. This was three times higher in some regions of the country. Few countries have water available continuously, but in many parts of the world a less than 24-hour supply is still considered sufficient. Countries use a wide range of different measures to assess availability and these must match up so that comparisons of service levels can be made across countries and over time.
In Nepal, 91% of the population drink from an improved water source, but E.coli has still been detected
4 | Some sources protect against contamination, but it still might not be safe to drink the water

To be considered "safe", a source of drinking water must be free from pathogens and high levels of harmful substances. Globally, the main health concern is faecal contamination, which is identified by the presence of bacteria such as E.coli. In many places, a water point is designed to protect against contamination, but the water from it might still have traces of E.coli - the groundwater may be contaminated by faulty latrines, or the containers people use to carry and store water may contain traces of the bacteria.

We need to invest more in low-cost techniques to test the quality of water people drink, especially for those who are not connected to regulated piped networks.
In Tanzania, 10% of the population spend more than 5% of their expenditure on drinking water
5 | People spend different amounts on water, but we don't know what they think is affordable
Tom Slaymaker is a senior statistics and monitoring specialist and Robert Bain is a statistics and monitoring specialist at Unicef. Join our community of development professionals and humanitarians. Follow @GuardianGDP on Twitter, and have your say on issues around water in development using #H2Oideas. Download the full report here.
Thanks to income and spending surveys, we know what people pay for water and sanitation varies from country to country. Data do not always capture the full costs of such services, such as the price to drill a borehole or get a household connection in the first place. We don't know if paying for water and sanitation will prevent people from getting access to them in the first place, or whether people think the amount they pay already is affordable.

Recording and comparing spending will be an important step towards working out whether drinking water services are affordable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to drinking water around the world - in five infographics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Billions of people have gained access to clean and safe drinking water since 1990, but data show that huge inequalities remain

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/history-clean-water-act
This site shows the laws of the Clean Water act, and the rules that you have to follow.

# data[].attributes.body
this shows when the clean water act started.

https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/history-clean-water-act

# data[].attributes.body
This shows what parts of the world have clean water . :)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
people without access to safe drinking water

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
households connected to water and sewers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
human development index and recent colonial control map

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
indigenous language and cultural extinctions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Life Expectancy, Food and Hunger, Access to Safe Water, AIDS, Population, and Human Conditions - Earth Web Site

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Key facts, charts, and maps about human conditions around the world, including information on stunting, life expectancy, AIDS, food and malnutrition, and population issues.

# data[].attributes.body
Water Is Life

Wherever they are, people need water to survive. Not only is the human body 60 percent water, the resource is also essential for producing food, clothing, and computers, moving our waste stream, and keeping us and the environment healthy.

# data[].attributes.headline
National Geographic Post :Cora P. Period 2

# data[].attributes.subject
National Geographic Post :Cora P. Period 2

# data[].attributes.body
According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. The challenge we now face as we head into the future is how to effectively conserve, manage, and distribute the water we have.

# data[].attributes.body
I found a link on the clean water crisis in the world, its from National Geographic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The water you drink today has likely been around in one form or another since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago.

While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time-continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups-the population has exploded. This means that every year competition for a clean, copious supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensifies.

Water scarcity is an abstract concept to many and a stark reality for others. It is the result of myriad environmental, political, economic, and social forces.

Freshwater makes up a very small fraction of all water on the planet. While nearly 70 percent of the world is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1 percent of our freshwater is easily accessible, with much of it trapped in glaciers and snowfields. In essence, only 0.007 percent of the planet's water is available to fuel and feed its 6.8 billion people.

Due to geography, climate, engineering, regulation, and competition for resources, some regions seem relatively flush with freshwater, while others face drought and debilitating pollution. In much of the developing world, clean water is either hard to come by or a commodity that requires laborious work or significant currency to obtain.

Water Is Life

Wherever they are, people need water to survive. Not only is the human body 60 percent water, the resource is also essential for producing food, clothing, and computers, moving our waste stream, and keeping us and the environment healthy.

Unfortunately, humans have proved to be inefficient water users. (The average hamburger takes 2,400 liters, or 630 gallons, of water to produce, and many water-intensive crops, such as cotton, are grown in arid regions.)

According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change. The challenge we now face as we head into the future is how to effectively conserve, manage, and distribute the water we have.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Competing for Clean Water Has Led to a Crisis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The water you drink today has likely been around in one form or another since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago. While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time-continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups-the population has exploded.