DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Essential question

How big of an issue is clean drinking water access around the world?

---

Many people around the world take easy access to safe drinking water for granted, but in India, one of the world's most populous nations, people are not so fortunate. Industrial pollution, agricultural runoff and insufficient sewage treatment leads to contamination in much of India's water supply and leaves an estimated 76 million people without access to clean drinking water. But now an innovative solution could provide some relief. A social business called Sarvajal built what they call water ATMs at sites around the country where customers can access clean water pumped up from below and purified on site at any time. In cities like Delhi, the poorest must wait long periods and jostle for water delivered by unreliable municipal tanker trucks. Even in middle class apartments, pipes often only provide water for a small period each day, leading many people to siphon water out of aging city pipes. Water ATM prices are lower than the cost of bottled water. Sarvajal hopes to be able to expand their project and local governments around the country have already begun ordering the construction of water ATM sites in areas that desperately need them.

---

Key terms

reverse osmosis — a liquid filtering process in which a contaminated liquid is forced to pass through a semi-permeable membrane that block most dissolved or suspended contaminants incentive — something that encourages a person to do something or to work harder

Warm up questions ( before watching the video)

1. About how many people live in India?


2. How important is water in our lives?


3. How easy do you think it is for people without plumbing to access clean water for cooking, drinking and bathing?

Critical thinking questions ( after watching the video)

1. What are the contributing factors to India’s water crisis?


2. Do you think the water kiosks or ATMs will be effective in solving India’s water crisis? Why or why not?


3. How does income affect a person’s access to clean water?