Have you ever had to walk miles just to get clean water, or don't even have access to clean water? All over the world, even in North America, people don't have access to clean water or have to walk very far just to drink water. The main areas where this problem is predominant are in third world countries, and this is due to lack of money and sanitation (millions of people lack clean drinking water). Due to this lack of sanitation, water-borne diseases can thrive and infect people who consume it. Clean water is very important for life, and in this article I will explain why we need it, how it can affect us, and what it will take to get clean water. Having safe drinking water means that the water must contain microbial, chemical and physical characteristics consistent with WHO guidelines or national drinking water quality standards. Around 780 million people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water (millions of people lack safe drinking water). More than 3.4 million people die each year from causes related to water, sanitation and hygiene. Almost all deaths, 99 percent, occur in developing countries. Worldwide, diseases linked to unsafe drinking water kill around 1,400 children every day (Clean Drinking Water). There are many organizations that raise money to help develop or create ways for people to get clean drinking water. However, many people are unaware that this is a problem even in other countries because we take clean water for granted. Water is the most vital part of life. Water is needed by humans, plants and other organisms, and for virtually everything. Water allows our bodily functions to function and remove waste from our bodies. Plants need water to grow, and humans need plants to grow... middle of paper ...... us and everything around us, and what it takes to get water 'drinking water. Additionally, I also gave examples of organizations that raise funds to help people get clean drinking water. We cannot take clean water for granted because everything around us, including us, needs clean water to survive and function. I explained that if we can end the drinking water crisis, we can focus on other global problems such as world hunger and economic problems. Once we are able to focus on other things, we may be able to work on technology that will allow us to turn more water into clean drinking water to accumulate for our ever-growing population. In conclusion, drinking water and clean water in general is an essential part of our lives and our world. We wouldn't be here without water, and we need to keep our water clean.