World Water Day: March 22, 2008

MARQUETTE -- Today, March 22, 2008, is World Water Day. an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of those without access to safe drinking water.

How clean is our water? Martin Auer, Michigan Tech University professor in environmental engineering, specializing in surface water quality engineering, shows a young visitor how to examine samples from Portage Lake during an educational boat ride on MTU's research boat Agassiz during the Strawberry Festival in Chassell last July. (Keweenaw Now file photo © 2007 Michele Bourdieu)

According to the World Water Day Web site, "For more than a billion people –- about one in six people on earth -- getting safe water each day is no easy task. Women and children around the world walk 200 million hours every day for water -- water that often comes from a polluted source."

In Tamil Nadu, India, more than 20,000 women will attend the Gramalaya World Water Day Celebration. Gramalaya in association with WaterPartners International and WaterAid, UK, is organizing this event to highlight the importance of water conservation, sanitation and hygiene practices among rural and urban communities.

Here in the Keweenaw, surrounded by our large fresh-water lake, perhaps we can reflect today on ways to conserve water and keep our beautiful watershed clean.

Thanks to Save the Wild UP for this reminder.

Visit the World Water Day Web site to learn more.