2 Million Americans Live Without Safe Running Water or a Working Toilet
Water isn’t a commodity to be sold to only those that can pay — it’s a basic right our government must provide to all residents.
March 22, 2023 | Source: The Defender | by Monica Lewis-Patrick & Susana De Anda
More than a decade ago, the U.N. declared that access to clean water and sanitation is a human right, underpinning all other goals for equality, health and economic prosperity.
The U.S. did not sign on.
Today, on World Water Day, global leaders are gathering in New York to discuss progress towards this goal. It’s the first time the U.N. Water Conference is being held in the U.S. and time for our nation to embrace the moral imperative: Water is a human right.
People tend to think of clean water and sanitation access as issues for countries with the lowest GDPs (gross domestic products). Yet, more than 2 million U.S. residents live without safe running water or a working toilet.
Millions more experience water shutoffs because of unaffordable water and sewer bills, and climate change threatens reliable access to clean water for many more communities.
The water access gap also costs our national economy more than $8 billion a year.