World Water Day Facts About Water Supply In Communities Of Color

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Today, March 22, is World Water Day in which we honor and highlight the importance of freshwater for everyone all over the globe. Back in 1993, the United Nations launched the commemorative day and one of their Sustainable Development Goals is to designate safe access to water for all by 2030.

According to the UN: 2019’s WWD theme is “leaving no one behind, in hopes to raise awareness of and address the fact that marginalized individuals can have the most trouble finding safe water. That includes children, women, refugees, indigenous peoples, and disabled people.

Unfortunately, giving everyone around the world access to clean, freshwater is still a work in progress that should be every nation’s ultimate priority. You recall the 2014 Flint Water Crisis in which the drinking water source for the city of Flint, Michigan was changed from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to a less costly source of the Flint River. It left residents with undrinkable, lead contaminated, brown water for years!

With #WorldWaterDay trending on social media, it reminded folks just how neglectful nations can be when it comes to communities of color and natural resources such as clean drinking water.

“.@realDonaldTrump it’s #WorldWaterDay. Since you’re into national emergencies, this is a reminder that Americans living in Flint still do not have safe water.”- @Nosoupforgeorge

“A reminder that Jeff Bezos’ estimated worth is 143 billion dollars. He reaped this wealth off the backs of thousands of workers. If we’d taxed 10% of this one man’s total wealth, we could have resolved Flint’s water crisis 143 TIMES and Bezos could STILL have 129 billion dollars.”- @memethepainaway

Flint, Michigan may be the most talked about low-income community with a tainted water supply, but it isn’t the only one.

“In low- and middle-income countries, 38% of health care facilities lack an improved water source, 19% do not have improved sanitation, and 35% lack water and soap for hand washing.”- @Brianautuheire

According to the UN, “as many as 2.1 billion people have no safe water at home. And almost two-thirds of the world’s people have problems finding water in at least one month of the year.” As a nation, as a people, we have to do our best to make sure everyone is afforded the basic human rights they deserve — and that includes fresh water.

You can’t start by supporting an organization that helps filter and distribute water all over the globe or donate to a foundation of your choice. It would probably be more beneficial to start with a community close to you in order to create direct results. Lots of communities of color all over the country are a facing a water crisis — whether it be tainted water or not enough.

Hit the flip for facts about water and communities of color that will make you want to help save a life, immediately.

Communities Of Color Are At Higher Risk Of Lead Poisoning Due To The Lead-Infused Water

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that 11.2 percent of African American children and 4.0 percent of Mexican-American children are poisoned by lead, compared with 2.3 percent of white children. Lead poisoning can result in a wide range of health problems, such as anemia, seizures, and brain development issues.

People Of Color Are Mostly Affected By The Incline Of The Cost Of Water Bills 

A new Chicago Tribune investigation found that residents in black and Latino communities are charged water rates up to 20-percent higher than those in predominantly white neighborhoods.

Local Officials Neglect The Infrastructure Of Water Supply For Decades In Communities Of Color

Many of the same communities that are exposed to contaminants rely on water infrastructure that has been neglected for decades and therefore cannot adequately address these contamination issues. As a result, many residents in these regions pay twice for basic water services: once for the contaminated water that flows from their taps and a second time for bottled water that is safe for drinking and cooking.

Impoverished Communities That Rely On Groundwater Are Heavily Exposed To Nitrate

Nitrates jeopardize the drinking water of 254,000 people out of the 2.6 million who rely on ground water in the Central Valley’s Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley. Babies are vulnerable in part because their immature stomachs harbor abundant nitrite-producing bacteria. Affected infants have trouble breathing and develop cyanosis, a blue-gray or purple tint to their skin, giving methemoglobinemia.