I promised my friends at Waves for Water I would help them spread the word about the great work they do and how they are helping people and their communities.

Here is what they do:

People living in impoverished areas die every day from drinking dirty water. While having access to clean water is a luxury that many of us take for granted, there are millions living in nations with no filtration systems in place. Kids drink from the same streams where animals bathe. In addition, there’s no clean water available for surgery if someone is injured, putting the wounded at risk of deathly infections.

The goal is to take existing solutions in the form of portable water filters into countries that need them. There are different options in deciding which filters would be best for each region, based on needs in various areas. Options range from ceramic filters that can be transported by one person, to larger filters that can provide clean water to an entire village.

One filter
can provide 100 people with clean water for up to 5 years.

Conserving water can also extend the life of your septic system by reducing soil saturation, and reducing any pollution due to leaks. Overloading municipal sewer systems can also cause untreated sewage to flow to lakes and rivers. The smaller the amount of water flowing through these systems, the lower the likelihood of pollution. In some communities, costly sewage system expansion has been avoided by communitywide household water conservation.

I added a few things to the list about conserving water, we can all do your part with these easy things to conserve that precious natural resource we all take for granted.

-Check faucets and pipes leaks, small leaks can save up to 20 gallons of water a day.
-Don’t use the toilet as an ashtray for your cigarette butts or waste basket.
-Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators.
-Insulate your water pipes. It’s easy and inexpensive, you’ll get hot water faster plus avoid -wasting water while heats up.
-Take shorter showers.
-Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush.
-Rinse your razor in the sink.
-Try to do full loads only when using your dishwasher and laundry machine.
-When washing dishes by hand, don’t leave the water running for rinsing.
-Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge.
-Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants.
-Put a layer of mulch around plants and trees.
-Water your lawn only when it needs it, or early morning or late afternoon.
-Don’t run the hose while washing your car.
-Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
-Don’t let the faucet run while you clean vegetables.

Waves for water has a donate program where you can contribute a few dollars to help aliviate the need for water in communities around the world.