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The <keyword id="20417468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="department-of-drinking-water-and-sanitation" source="keywords">Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation</keyword> has received a budgetary allocation of Rs 77,390.68 crores for the fiscal year 2024-2025. This figure reflects a minimal increase of only 0.5 per cent from the revised estimate of Rs 77,032.65 crore announced in budget 2023-2024. A substantial portion of this financial year's allotment for the <keyword id="22519676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="drinking-water-and-sanitation" source="keywords">Drinking Water and Sanitation</keyword> department is directed towards the <keyword id="19971121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jal-jeevan-mission" source="keywords">Jal Jeevan Mission</keyword> (JJM), which received Rs 69,926.65 crore, a marginal rise from the revised estimate of Rs 69,846.31 crore in 2023-2024. This flagship programme aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024, focusing on ensuring regular and adequate <keyword id="19939560" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-supply" source="keywords">water supply</keyword>. Additionally, the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) has been allocated Rs 95 crore, a huge rise from the Rs 3 crore it got in the last revised estimate. The <keyword id="20200832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swachh-bharat-mission" source="keywords">Swachh Bharat Mission</keyword> (Gramin), which focuses on maintaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and enhancing waste management in rural areas, has been allocated Rs 7,192 crore. This allocation remains consistent with the budget for the previous fiscal year and continues to support <keyword id="22519675" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanitation-efforts" source="keywords">sanitation efforts</keyword> nationwide. The budget also includes significant funding for water supply and sanitation at Rs 64,302.85 crore, an increase from the previous year's Rs 64,138.41 crore. For economic services, the budget includes Rs 35.78 crore for the Secretariat and capital outlay on general economic services. This is an increase from Rs 32.65 crore in the revised budget, indicating a focus on enhancing administrative and infrastructural capacities. Additional allocations include Rs 7,632.19 crore for Northeast India, aimed at improving water and sanitation facilities in these regions. Grants-in-aid to state governments have been set at Rs 5,169.86 crore, while grants to Union Territories are allocated at Rs 250 crore.

Budget 2024-25: Drinking water and sanitation dept gets a mere 0.5% boost

Why you should avoid drinking water right after meals

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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="37180" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="schools">Schools</keyword> across the US are slowly welcoming students back to campus. </li><li>Some campus buildings have sat vacant for nearly a year as class instruction moved online.</li><li>As a result, experts say harmful metals and <keyword id="6376020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bacteria">bacteria</keyword> are likely lurking in the pipes.</li></ul>As schools across the country begin reopening after months of closure, some districts are learning that hazardous material accumulated in their plumbing systems, and experts say stagnant water poses health risks to students and staff.In Michigan and North Carolina, reports of elevated lead levels and bacteria in the water are scaring school officials. Their worry is that students and staff might be exposed to dangerous <keyword id="6355063" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking-water">drinking water</keyword>. Lead can enter water when plumbing materials that contain it begin to corrode, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water">Environmental Protection Agency</a>. Flushing school plumbing systems with fresh water is one way to ensure hazardous material does not form or linger in the water. But because of concerns related to the pandemic, schools across the United States have generally been closed for months. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, lead is a toxic metal "linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells" in children. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water, Elin Betanzo, a water engineer and the founder of Safe Water Engineering, a Michigan consulting firm that works to improve access to safe drinking water, told Insider.Ann Arbor, Michigan, officials have previously said their schools followed flushing guidelines regularly during the summer when most students were not present. In October, however, tests of the water in several Ann Arbor schools showed high bacteria levels, leading officials to recommend flushing the pipes three times a week, up from two, according to a Chalkbeat <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/2021/02/21/classrooms-reopen-stagnant-water-pipes-pose-health-risk/4519454001/">report</a>. In North Carolina, the assistant superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, Patrick Abele, said one of his schools detected traces of copper and lead, the local <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> outlet Chapelboro.com <a href="https://chapelboro.com/news/pre-k-12-education/unused-pipes-lead-to-water-quality-problems-at-a-chccs-campus">reported</a>.School buildings in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system have been closed since March 2020 when schools and businesses across the US shifted to virtual learning and remote work.At present, school leaders intend to allow students to r<a href="https://chapelboro.com/news/pre-k-12-education/chccs-board-approves-hybrid-in-person-instruction-will-begin-in-april#:~:text=All%20staff%20will%20return%20to,stretches%20of%20in%2Dperson%20learning.">eturn to classrooms in April</a>, though legislation that passed both chambers of the North Carolina state legislature may force school leaders to <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mvKEHxPS804_aP668pQved2Jg1zJd0anbU9IDMVRaJQ/edit">reopen schools by mid-March</a>, school officials said.District representatives said they will continue to test the water and flush pipes as schools prepare to resume in-person learning. <keyword id="639613" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="water-quality">Water quality</keyword> issues have also emerged in other parts of the country, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, according to Chalkbeat.School districts elsewhere are taking steps to prevent the accumulation of harmful bacteria and lead in water pipes.Hawaii public schools, for example, partnered with the state health department to test tap water for lead. Testing in select schools began in February and is expected to continue through the end of the year, said Nanea Kalani, communications director for the Hawaii Public School district. "Nearly 75% of all public school students have resumed in-person learning," Kalani told Insider. "Our facilities are consistently being utilized," Kalani added.About two dozen schools across the Hawaii islands will undergo routine testing this year. Some school districts do not anticipate being caught off guard by hazardous material in drinking water.The Miami-Dade County schools district, one of the largest in the US, said lead exposure in particular is not a concern. "Miami-Dade is unique in that lead service lines have never been utilized and our water supply comes from the underground Biscayne Aquifer," said Elmo Lugo, media specialist at Miami-Dade County Public Schools."Groundwater, unlike surface water sources, is filtered through the sedimentary layers of sand and limestone, which naturally filters out any traces of surficial lead."In the event of any unprecedented lead exposure, however, the school district has a partnership with what Lugo described to Insider as a governmental agency that stands ready to distribute bottled water to all sites.Additionally, Lugo said Miami-Dade County schools "were not closed for a prolonged period of time without constant maintenance and/or capital improvements." Schools were closed from March 16, 2020, and began reopening on October 5. During that time, Lugo said, each school building within the district followed flushing procedures and other measures to track and maintain the water quality. Pipes also undergo routine testing by the Water and Sewer Department and the Florida State Health Department. "These agencies rigorously test all of our schools on a regular basis. If they find anything, they notify us immediately," Lugo said. "We are very proud of our proactivity in keeping each school free from secondary lead exposure and bacteria."New York City Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, and the Los Angeles Unified School District - the three largest public school systems by enrollment in the US - did not return Insider's requests for comment.<h2>While school officials are focused on keeping <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> out of classrooms, experts say dangers could be lurking in the pipes</h2>"The longer we let it sit there, potentially, the greater concentration of chemicals are in the water," said Andrew Whelton, a water quality researcher and professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University. Lead, copper, zinc, and other heavy metals that can be found in stagnant water pipes can have "acute health effects" if ingested, Whelton said.But these concerns aren't regularly considered, he said, because water systems in places like school buildings don't typically sit stagnant for months on end. "When you would try to publish a study, showing that you let water sit in pipes for a very long time, scientists would reject it and say, 'this never happens,'" he said. "So, you would have a hard time publishing it because people would say it's unrealistic."Both Whelton and Betanzo said there aren't federal standards requiring schools to test the quality of their water systems, leaving it up to the schools themselves to decide. Federal requirements only apply to schools when they're considered a public water system. Most are not, Whelton said. "Most schools receive water from a public water system," Whelton said. "And in that situation, the assumption has been that if the public water system delivers water to the water meter, and that's safe, then clearly throughout the entire school, the water is safe all the time forever."Water can also vary in quality in different parts of the same schools, the experts told Insider. Rarely used faucets, drinking fountains, or entire areas of school buildings with less traffic, can also have higher levels of contaminants than water in other parts of the campus."You could have some really new water fountains with water bottle filling stations, and then maybe the school ran out of money and couldn't replace the really old water fountains," Whelton said."And those are the ones with high levels of lead," he added. "The school can determine where they're going to test. They don't have to test the oldest ones. They don't have to test the most used ones, and there's really not good guidance for these schools." <h2>Stagnant pipes can lead to the risk of harmful bacteria, like Legionella</h2>In addition to harmful metals that seep into stagnant water, Whelton said that the lack of running water can allow a "slime" layer of bacteria and other organisms known as a biofilm to grow, allowing harmful bacteria, like Legionella - the cause of Legionnaires' disease - to enter the water."When water is moving, you have water flowing, and because of that, you have shear forces that don't allow the slime layer to get that thick," he said. "And the thicker of the slime layer, potentially the easier it is for pathogens and disease-causing organisms to hide in it. And when the water stops moving, then the bacteria and other organisms will come out into the water."Schools that had partial shutdowns or adopted a hybrid system of virtual and in-person instruction are likely in a better situation, Betanzo said, as just some movement of water can prevent metals and bacteria from seeping in or growing."You can have all your water in great condition in your community," said Betanzo. "You're using it all the time, but once it hits that school building and nobody's using it, the water stops moving. We call that water age." As the water in pipes ages, the disinfectant added at water-treatment facilities dissipates and the biofilm grows. "If there were a few microorganisms in the water, they get to grow because there's no chlorine or chloramines in there to control their growth," she said.And schools that say they're flushing their pipes before students return may not be doing enough to entirely eliminate the hazards, she added."You want to make sure you are bringing fresh water to the entry point of the school and then using that freshwater to push the old water out," Betanzo said. "If you're not doing it methodically in that order, you could end up just pulling bad water around and around the building, especially in a building with more complex plumbing systems, like in larger high schools," she added.More complex cleaning of a school's water system by third-party companies may also be necessary to properly remove bacteria clinging to the pipes. For now, Betanzo said she sends her own child to school with a large bottle of water each day. She also recommended students and staff keep their face coverings on during the day - even when alone in areas like the bathroom. While Legionella grows in water, it's only harmful when its particles are inhaled, she said. Face masks to prevent COVID-19 spread can also prevent Legionnaires disease, she said.Have a news tip about the water quality at your child's school? Contact these reporters at: <a href="mailto:cperrett@insider.com">cperrett@insider.com</a> and <a href="mailto:ydzhanova@insider.com">ydzhanova@insider.com</a>

Harmful metals and bacteria are lurking in the pipes at shuttered schools as students near a return to class, experts warn

9 health benefits of drinking ginger water in the morning

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="12330096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="epa" source="Orion">EPA</keyword> has warned that <keyword id="11947904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfas" source="Orion">PFAS</keyword> <keyword id="12205881" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="chemicals" source="Orion">chemicals</keyword> pose <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> risks even at low levels of exposure.</li><li>The agency lowered its recommended limit for PFOS and PFOA in <keyword id="11955376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking-water" source="Orion">drinking water</keyword> to nearly undetectable levels.</li></ul>The Environmental Protection Agency has set new, near-zero limits for dangerous chemicals found in takeout containers, stain-resistant carpets, and firefighting foam.The chemicals known as PFOA and PFOS were phased out by US regulators years ago, after they were found to affect cancer risk and immune system functioning. But given the nature of the compounds — nicknamed "forever chemicals" because they do not break down over time — they still pose a threat to humans and the environment.The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-new-drinking-water-health-advisories-pfas-chemicals-1-billion-bipartisan">EPA advisory</a> is nonbinding, but it represents an "epic" shift in regulation, Terrence Collins, director of the Institute for Green <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">Science</keyword> at Carnegie Mellon University, told Insider.The Wednesday announcement not only proposed a much lower limit for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, but also addressed next-generation compounds that have been used to replace the two phased-out chemicals."Nature can't deal with these compounds, and so this is a long overdue wake up warning that we've got to stop doing this," Collins said. "It's most unfortunate because the compounds in this class have really good technical performance, and typically you can make money with them. But they just have absolutely awful health, environment, and fairness performance." <h2>New limits consider the most vulnerable populations</h2>The new EPA guidelines set limits on PFOA and PFOS that are literally thousands of times lower than past regulations.Drinking water advisories issued in 2016 set the upper limit for the chemicals at 70,000 parts per quadrillion. Even then, PFAS were not federally regulated, and tap water testing in multiple US cities found total PFAS levels (including PFOA, PFOS, and similar compounds) exceeded the recommended limit, according to the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/national-pfas-testing/">Environmental Working Group</a>.The drinking water that once fell within the EPA's safe zone for PFAS is now thought to pose health risks as well, especially for vulnerable populations including children, pregnant people, and people with compromised immune systems.Exposure to PFOA, PFOS, and other "legacy" chemicals in the PFAS cluster has been linked to testicular, kidney, liver, and pancreatic cancers, according to the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/what-are-pfas-chemicals">Environmental Working Group</a>. Prenatal exposure can also affect birth weight and early development, including childhood immunity, a 2020 study in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7530144/">Toxicology</a> found.The EPA has lowered the health risk threshold for PFOA to 4 parts per quadrillion and PFOS to 20 parts per quadrillion — levels so low they may not be detectable. In 2020, tap water in <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/national-pfas-testing/">dozens of US cities</a> had total PFAS levels exceeding those limits.As for the chemicals that have been created to replace older PFAS, they've also been linked to liver and kidney damage. The EPA recommended a limit of 2,000 parts per trillion for <a href="https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/learn-about-human-health-toxicity-assessment-pfbs">the compound PFBS</a> in water that's safe to drink. Only 10 parts per trillion of <a href="https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/human-health-toxicity-assessments-genx-chemicals">HFPO (also known as GenX)</a> was considered safe under the same advisory, because the compound may also increase the risk of certain cancers.Hilary Brueck contributed reporting.

'Forever chemicals' found in drinking water across the US pose health risks even in small amounts, EPA says

<ul><li><keyword id="7978681" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="av-organics">AV Organics</keyword>, a startup based out of Vadodara, has a new product called <keyword id="7978684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="evocus">Evocus</keyword> which is a black coloured drinking water. </li><li><keyword id="7978683" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-alkaline-water">Black alkaline water</keyword> is a popular concept abroad but is still in its infant stages in India. </li><li>The alternative to water is high in nutrients and has multiple health benefits that are yet to be fully proven.</li></ul>Black alkaline water has been a popular concept in many countries but in India, the idea of a black coloured water is new if not strange. But the 30-year old Aakash Vaghela who brought the product to India is excited about the prospects. Vaghela set up a startup AV Organics in 2018, and launched black alkaline water under the brand ‘Evocus’ in June this year. “I was studying the benefits of alkaline water when I started looking for its availability in India. I was surprised to see a handful of companies producing it at a very small scale,” Aakash Vaghela, founder of AV Organics told Business Insider. Alkaline water has a pH level more than 7. Even though it’s not been proven yet, it is reported to have <a href="https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/the-truth-about-alkaline-water-1548405860287.html">many benefits</a> – it has over 70 minerals with high pH level – like better metabolism and digestion, faster absorption of oxygen, detoxification, and many more. However, in India, it costs ₹100 a bottle, which can be considered a steep price for water. So, it’s expensive and less known. Vaghela is not putting all his eggs in this basket. He also runs his own real estate company in Vadodara. Fade to black As he jumped into the business of <keyword id="1773477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-water">black water</keyword>, he found other problems too– normal water when turned into alkaline returns back to normal in 72 hours. One can’t sell something like that. That’s when a US-based Dr. Norbert Chirase, who holds a PhD in Nutrition from Texas A&amp;M University, came to the rescue, providing scientific knowhow and technical expertise for product development. “Now, we source the minerals from the US and then at our manufacturing facility in Vadodara, we use these minerals to enrich the water. They hold the alkalinity of the water for over 12 months,” Vaghela said. Evocus – Labeled as a ‘nutrient water’ – is currently available in Pune (100 stores), Chandigarh (40), and Ahmedabad as well as on Amazon. Long way to go However, there is no awareness regarding alkaline water in India, so Vaghela has to build his brand as well as the product category. But he isn’t paying for expensive hoardings or television ads. Instead, online influencers get the increasingly health-conscious Indians, who can afford to pay 100 bucks a bottle, to look at black alkaline water. The premium water market is increasing in India with big brands like <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/q8f66UTrWH4qvJ3tkEmlzO/CocaCola-to-launch-premium-water-brand-Smartwater.html">Coca Cola</a> too entering the space.

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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Officials worry <keyword id="21070" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="chlorine">chlorine</keyword> suppliers are prioritizing swimming <keyword id="6434861" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pools">pools</keyword> over <keyword id="6355063" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking-water">drinking water</keyword>, <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/chlorine-shortage-leads-u-s-water-systems-to-seek-epas-help">Bloomberg</a> says.</li><li>Amid chlorine shortages, some drinking water plants are running low on vital treatment chemicals. </li><li>Pool construction increased by 23% last year, contributing to a <keyword id="62654" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="shortage">shortage</keyword> of chlorine tablets.</li></ul>Oceanside Water Utilities in California was days away from running out of bleach for its waste- and drinking-water treatment plants last month, <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/chlorine-shortage-leads-u-s-water-systems-to-seek-epas-help">Bloomberg Law</a> reported on Monday. If chemical shipments didn't return in time, the water supply for 170,000 people would be at risk.The Oceanside plant was one of 10 local systems from California, Utah, New Mexico, and New York that requested help from the US Environmental Protection Agency this week, according to Bloomberg. This led both private and public water plants to apply for federal assistance as their chemical shipments dwindled amid regional chlorine shortages. Requests were filed through section 1441 of the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act, something the <keyword id="52232" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="EPA">EPA</keyword> said they've never seen before. In a <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/08/13/2021-17358/notification-of-safe-drinking-water-act-sdwa-section-1441-application-submissions">Federal Register</a> notice published Friday, the EPA said all 10 applicants cited "the unavailability of treatment chemical via normal procurement channels" due to chlorine shortages."Each of these utilities tried to identify alternate treatment chemical suppliers with no success," the EPA wrote.Local water officials told Bloomberg's Bobby Magill that they are concerned chlorine suppliers are prioritizing shipments to swimming pools over water plant deliveries. As the pandemic forced families to stay at home, swimming pool demand surged while chlorine production sank. In 2020, pool construction increased by 23% year-over-year with 96,000 pools being built across the US, according to Goldman Sachs. The supply of chlorine is still being limited by a Louisiana chlorine plant that caught fire last summer, cutting off a large percentage of the nation's chlorine tablet supply.BioLab Westlake is currently working to repair the plant - estimated to cost around $170 million. The Chlorine Institute said in a statement that the Louisiana plant will be out of order until 2022.

Local officials are reportedly worried chlorine suppliers are prioritizing swimming pools over drinking water in several US states

<h3><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikcharlton/2720782431/sizes/l/">Erik Charlton/Flickr</a></div></div></div>BI Answers: Is drinking carbonated water the same as drinking regular water?</h3>
Carbonated water seems like a great alternative for people who don't like the taste of water, but who want to stay hydrated throughout the day.
But is the bubbly beverage just as good for your body as the stuff that comes out of the faucet?
Basically, yes. "Sparkling water can be just as hydrating as regular water," according to Jennifer McDaniel, a registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics.
Carbonated or sparkling water is made by dissolving carbon dioxide in water, creating carbonic acid. This process just adds bubbles - it does not add sugar, calories, or caffeine. Tonic water, club soda, and mineral water are all types of carbonated water, but these have added sodium, vitamins, or sweeteners, so it's important to read the label.
There are some common health concerns associated with drinking carbonated water - for instance, that it leaches calcium from the bones, <a href="http://www.healtheast.org/kidney-stone-institute/myths-kidney-stones-a-diet.html" target="_blank">causes kidney stones</a>, and strips the enamel from your teeth - but these are not supported by clinical research.
"In reality there's no good evidence that carbonated water causes harm to your bone," registered dietitians Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/carbonated-water/bgp-20056174" target="_blank">said on the Mayo's Clinic's blog</a>. "The confusion may arise because of research that found a connection between carbonated cola drinks and low bone mineral density."
While artificially carbonated water is slightly more acidic than still water, it's not as acidic as sugary sodas, and does not seem to significantly damage tooth enamel. A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11556958" target="_blank">2001 study</a> published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation that compared the affect of sparkling mineral waters with still waters on human teeth, noted that the "carbonation of drinks may not be an important factor per se in respect of erosive potential."
The only issues with guzzling sparkling waters are that "some people get gas and burp, especially when they drink it fast," says Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian and author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Food-Is-Friend-Diet/dp/0984597913" target="_blank">The Food Is My Friend Diet</a>." Frechman also warns that fizzy water may not be the best post-workout beverage since the bubbles may create a sense of fullness that causes some people to drink less.
This post is part of a continuing series that answers all of your "why" questions related to <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword>. Have your own question? Email <a href="mailto:dspector@businessinsider.com">dspector@buisnessinsider</a> with the subject line "Q&amp;A"; tweet your question to <a href="https://twitter.com/BI_Science" target="_blank">@BI_Science</a>; or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsiderScience" target="_blank">post to our Facebook page</a>.

Is Drinking Carbonated Water The Same As Drinking Regular Water?

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financing-a-sustainable-future-2022"></a><div type="image" title="A man fills a cup at a community water kiosk" height="1706" width="2275" msid="91156525" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Kettie Alinafe Harawa is the Malawi-based director of influence and scale at <keyword id="15300" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="water" source="Orion">Water</keyword> for People.</li><li>The nonprofit works to bring quality <keyword id="11955376" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking-water" source="Orion">drinking water</keyword> and sanitation services to countries in need. </li><li>Harawa leads projects like tapping into groundwater and installing pumps and water infrastructure.</li></ul>Access to <keyword id="11947900" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="clean-water" source="Orion">clean water</keyword> and better hygiene, sanitation, and water resource management is the "centerpiece" for solutions to <keyword id="11964087" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="poverty" source="Orion">poverty</keyword>, gender equality, education, and hunger around the world, said Kettie Alinafe Harawa, the Malawi-based director of influence and scale at <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/">Water for People</a>. In <keyword id="12621998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="malawi" source="Orion">Malawi</keyword>, Harawa is leading projects like tapping into groundwater and installing pumps and other water infrastructure.<div type="image" title="black and white headshot of Kettie Alinafe Harawa" height="1876" width="2502" msid="91156526" hostid="261"></div>Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the international nonprofit organization works in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda, and India, and has directors based in each of those countries.To tackle the problem, Harawa works with local governments in Malawi and the national government, non-government organizations, and other groups to carry out Water for People's mission to bring quality <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grIR9KCrGlI">drinking water and sanitation services</a> to Malawi long term that are sustained by communities, businesses, and governments.The nonprofit funds local projects in part from donors like <a href="https://www.charitywater.org/">Charity:Water</a>, <a href="https://www.focusingphilanthropy.org/">Focusing Philanthropy</a>, <a href="https://www.latterdaysaintcharities.org/">Latter-day Saint Charities</a>, and the <a href="https://www.seagrapefoundation.org/">Sea Grape Foundation</a>, which <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WaterForPeople_AnnualReport_2020.pdf">contributed more than $1 million in 2020</a>. Other funding comes from individual and corporate donations and other fundraising. It also negotiates with partners like local governments, education and health departments, and communities, which help pay for water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in their areas."Water issues need to be solved first and everything else will follow," Harawa told Insider.In 2020, two billion people worldwide lacked safe drinking water, 3.6 billion lived without safely-managed sanitation, and 2.3 billion lacked basic hygiene — and 129 countries aren't on track to have sustainably-managed water systems by 2030, according to the<a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6"> United Nations</a>.Many African countries, like Malawi, which is home to around 19 million people, experience water stress at higher rates than other parts of the world because of higher poverty levels and a lack of water infrastructure, and a <a href="https://www.wri.org/insights/climate-change-hurting-africas-water-sector-investing-water-can-pay">World Resources Institute report </a>suggests that climate change could worsen the problem. In Malawi, around <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/malawi/">a third of the population lacks access to basic water services</a> and 75% don't have <a href="https://www.unicef.org/malawi/stories/water-makes-covid-19-treatment-sites-safe">access to sanitation services</a>.Here's a look at how Harawa is working to expand access to clean water, hygiene, and sanitation in her home country.<h2>Ensuring long-term water viability </h2><div type="image" title="students washing their hands in Blantyre, Malawi" height="1706" width="2275" msid="91156527" hostid="261"></div>Water for People <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/malawi/">began working in Malawi in 2000</a> and now covers three districts in the country: areas in and around the second-largest city of Blantyre and the rural areas of Chikwawa and Chiradzulu.The nonprofit brings water to communities by drilling and repairing boreholes, which are narrow shafts that reach groundwater, and restoring gravity-fed piped water systems, which pull water upstream from rivers, streams, or catchments.<div type="image" title="a man working on a water pump" height="1706" width="2275" msid="91156528" hostid="261"></div>Ensuring that communities can sustain their water and sanitation services is central to the mission. Harawa said the organization educates community organizations, businesses, and individuals on managing and repairing water points to ensure long-term viability and provides assistance in maintaining the water infrastructure and education along the way."We let them understand where their water is coming from, that water is a finite resource that must be taken care of," Harawa said, adding that citizens are also educated on how to reuse water to grow crops and plant trees.Harawa counts her work in Blantyre among her biggest accomplishments. She was instrumental in bolstering the <a href="https://www.bwb.mw/">Blantyre Water Board</a> and helping establish 10 water users associations that manage 1,000 communal water kiosks in the city.Across Malawi, she also led a team that built more than 360 water kiosks and created a sanitation business chain to offer long-lasting sanitation services in Blantyre.In 2021, Water for People's program costs in Malawi totaled <a href="https://www.waterforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Water-For-People-2020-Consolidated-Financial-Statements.pdf">more than $4.1 million</a>, according to the organization. An additional $3.3 million was invested by partners and other stakeholders in the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector.<h2>Meeting the UN's water security targets </h2><div type="image" title="a child walks with a water jug on their head" height="1568" width="2090" msid="91156529" hostid="261"></div>Harawa also strives to help Malawi achieve the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6">UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6</a> focused on clean water and sanitation. This involves reaching <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6">several targets by 2030</a>, including expanding safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene access, reducing water pollution, and restoring water-related ecosystems.The country is now a step closer, she added, after Water for People was involved with developing a resilient financing strategy for the water sector. Harawa was instrumental in the drafting process."We provided technical assistance to the government of Malawi with funding from UNICEF to develop a climate-resilient WASH financing strategy. The strategy identified the WASH finance gap and identified three ways of closing the gap," Harawa said. The government has accepted the plan, but it hasn't yet been adopted, as it's awaiting the minister's signature.While she's not sure of the exact timeline, Harawa believes once the strategy is implemented, Malawi will meet the SDG 6 initiative."If we do business as usual, then we're not going to meet it," Harawa said. "But if we change the way we approach things and do things better, then we will be able to achieve SDG 6 in Malawi."

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