Clean water is a basic necessity for normal body functioning. A person needs at least 20 to 50 liters of clean water a day for hydration, for sanitation and cooking. Organizing a team of engineers who will focus on creating a solution which will address the problem on access to clean water will surely benefit a lot of people in the planet because unclean or unsanitary water is the cause of major diseases which plagued mankind such as cholera, diarrhea and typhoid fever. Researches state that water-related diseases have caused 3.4 million deaths per year. The access to water and sanitation is taken for granted in developed countries but this basic right is not enjoyed by many across the globe hence, the United Nations saw the importance of tackling such problem and aimed to ensure the availability and the sustainable management of water and sanitation for all people as provided in Sustainable Development Goals Number 6.
The world has plenty of water sources but the sources are unpredictable, undependable and are not located where it is needed. Compounding to the magnitude of the problem are the natural and manmade water pollutants which degrades water sources. The challenge to the pool of engineers who will focus on ensuring steady access to clean water is to build the sanitary infrastructure that will replace the run-down water infrastructure in developed countries which have been designed for 100 years but were constructed in the middle 1800’s. Providing the machinery which separates drinking water from wastewater in regions that do not have these facilities will help attain the goal of improving access to clean water as well as the provision of infrastructure which preserves and enhances the ecological integrity of surface and ground water sources. Meeting the challenge of providing access to clean water will enhance the quality of life and longevity of people especially those who are living in the world’s poorest nation.
