Photography and text by Karl Zimmermann
Opens September 19, 2024
Globally, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, the biggest risks are from arsenic, fluoride and nitrate, while “microbial contamination with feces poses the greatest risk to drinking-water safety.” A range of microbial contaminants threaten public health including E. coli, fecal coliforms, and helminths, leading to illnesses like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Many of these contaminants are invisible; a common misconception is that ‘clear water is clean water,’ but this is not always true!
Protecting water quality from source to glass requires:
a) protecting source water in the environment
b) treating contaminated waters
c) keeping water safe until consumption
Thankfully, this message is well known. When asked “What is the most important person or thing for keeping water safe in your community?”, the most common answer from 370 people across six countries was, “Protecting source water quality.”
In this exhibit, we share the challenges and successes of people protecting drinking water quality from source to glass. As you explore these stories, you may be interested to think about where your drinking water comes from and how can you ensure that waste doesn’t contaminate the pristine environments that protect water quality for everyone.
Watch Karl’s documentary, Water Together, on YouTube.