Water For People Celebrates World Water Day

Water For People Celebrates World Water Day

3/22/2005 12:18:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Nancy Haws of Water For People, 303-734-3476 or nancy [at] waterforpeople.org

DENVER, March 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -– Today, Water For People (WFP), an international humanitarian organization, celebrates World Water Day (WWD) with its volunteers and supporters throughout the North American water industry. Many public utilities and companies across the United States and Canada will be participating in educational awareness programs such as guided tours of water and wastewater treatment plants, classroom discussions and presentations to kindergarten through 12th grade students.

In anticipation of their May Employee Giving Campaign, CH2M HILL is using WWD to begin educating its employees about WFP. American Water is using WWD to kick off a three-week Employee Giving Campaign, highlighting the company's long-term commitment to WFP and encouraging employees to become involved by volunteering or donations.

A resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 designated March 22 of each year as the date to promote public awareness of the importance of water in our lives, specifically the importance of conservation, preservation, and protection of water resources. This year's World Water Day also marks the official start of the U.N.'s Decade of "Water is Life".

Since 1991, WFP has been helping the world's poor in developing countries access safe water and sanitation. According to Steve Werner, the executive director of WFP, "the greatest tragedy of all is that every fifteen seconds a child under the age of five dies needlessly from a preventable water-related illness. We hope citizens will learn about and appreciate their own water supply system here at home and also gain a greater awareness of the water crisis facing a large part of the world in which we live."

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EDITOR’S NOTE: A photo of a young child from Engucwini, Malawi enjoying a refreshing drink of safe water from a WFP funded water pump in his village is available from the contact listed above.

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Water For People is an international, nonprofit, development organization committed to the long-term impact of increased access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation and health.

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