Clean water in dirty world

On a list of luxuries, few people in the United States would write down "clean water." But for most of the world, it is a real extravagance. Clean water belongs on another list here — the list of things Americans take for granted.

Contaminated water is the second leading cause of death in the world for children under the age of 5. Every year, 1.3 million children die from drinking bad water.

Such statistics are what led a group of Brigham Young University public relations and advertising students to pour heart and soul into World Water Week (March 23-28) and its accompanying Tap Project — an effort to raise funds and awareness for nations that struggle with water issues. Through Saturday, 36 Utah restaurants and clubs will be participating in UNICEF's Tap Project. At those establishments, patrons can pay $1, if they wish, for the glass of water that is normally complimentary. Thanks to a push from the BYU students, this will be Utah's first year participating in the Tap Project. Last year the national campaign raised almost $1 million to help improve the water in several nations — including Iraq.

For Utahns, of course, water has always been an issue. Typically, however, the focus is on conserving it and putting it to good use. The notion of drinking water comes up only when people discuss the relative merits of bottled water versus tap.

Not so in the Third World, where 2 billion people suffer from worms and other ailments they have gotten from drinking contaminated water.

And clearing up the problems will require funds and imagination. Roadblocks abound — ranging from the corrupt officials who administer water policy to the lack of urgency among affected populations to change their ways. One humanitarian group is distributing small filtering devices to homes — not unlike the devices campers in America take into the wilds. Thinking small has produced more success than revamping the entrenched bureaucracies.

In the meantime, the BYU humanitarians will continue to bring the issue of clean water to the fore. And most of the three dozen restaurants are expecting a positive and generous reaction from their patrons,

For a list of restaurants participating and other information about the Tap Project, go to utahtap.org.