Read the Text and the definition of access to safe water and answer the following questions:

When people drink contaminated water, they can become ill. Answer each of the following questions briefly, referring back to the Text if necessary.

How many people suffer each year from diarrheal diseases related to dirty water?

Using the text and your own experience, complete the following exercises.

Listed below are some household uses of water and estimates of how much water they use (based on an industrial country plumbing system). From these estimates, answer the questions that follow.

Flushing toilets	3–5 gallons of water per flush
Brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc.	3–5 gallons of water per minute for running tap
Showering	5–7 gallons of water per minute
Bathing	35–50 gallons of water per bath

In Bangladesh, the poorest people spend 11 percent of their household income on fuel to boil their drinking water. In the urban slums of Nigeria, people spend 18 percent of the household income for water. In Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, the poorest people spend 20 percent of their household income for water.

Answer each of the following questions briefly, referring back to the Text if necessary.

What does it mean to say that safe water is an "economic" good?

Why is it important for all of the consumers of water to be part of the decisionmaking processes concerning safe water and sanitation?

Use the Text, Charts, and Data Tables to argue for or against this statement: The poorest people suffer the most from the lack of safe water.

Are there times when people in your community do not have enough water? When? Why? What do people do? Are there any government or community policies to help during these times? If so, what are they?