Monday, March 16, 2009

Take the CCF World Water Day Challenge




In the world today, approximately 1.3 billion people (18 percent of the world’s population) lack access to safe drinking water. Others don’t have enough water to bathe or even wash their hands.

And every day, almost 10,000 children under the age of five die as a result of water-related illnesses.

Every day, an American family uses an average of 80 gallons of water. To put that number in perspective, one load of laundry uses almost 35 gallons of water.

In Africa, the average family only uses 5 gallons of water a day. That one load of laundry cycled by the American family is more than that same family in Africa consumes in one week.

CCF recognizes that clean, safe water is essential to the health and development of children, and to every family’s ability to be self-sustaining.

A few of our programs include:


  • Water wells in Zambia, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Sri Lanka and Angola
  • Latrines for schools in Sri Lanka
  • Crop irrigation systems in India
  • Water reservoirs in Brazil and Ecuador
  • Training and education on water sanitation and hygiene in Honduras, India, Ecuador and the Philippines

But on March 22, in honor of World Water Day 2009, we at CCF want to see how well you can complete our World Water Day Challenge. That means for one day, Sunday, March 22, we’re asking you to reduce your water usage from the average 80 gallons to only 5 gallons for the entire day.

To help you along, here are a few statistics on water usage for every day tasks that most of us may take for granted.*

  • Flush a Toilet: Between 1.5 and 3 gallons for each flush.
  • Take a Shower: 3.5 gallons every minute.
  • Use a Dishwasher: Between 6 and 11 gallons.
  • Brush Your Teeth: 2 gallons.
  • Cook a Quarter Pound of Hamburger: 1 gallon.

    *All statistics are according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Try it out and tell us how you did. What was the hardest challenge you faced in keeping your water usage to 5 gallons of water for one day? What have you learned in trying the CCF World Water Day Challenge?

Leave your comments below!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

For anyone struggling, here's a web site with 111 tips to conserve water: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php

Jessica said...

I think this is great. Lately the Lord has really been speaking to me about the water crisis throughout the world. I have been studying water usage in my college environmental science course, I found a charity completely devoted to helping developing companies dig wells.

http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/

I think it would be great for CCF to join up with this group for this cause. Go to the website and play the first video! Truly pulls at the heartstrings.

Anonymous said...

I try to save water all the time. The easiest way comes with shaving – I fill up the sink and just use that water – and with brushing my teeth. I run water at the start and at the very end.