By Seanna Kryger
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a set of goals developed in 2015 outlining a vision of peace for the planet and for the people on it. These goals call for all countries from the Global North and the Global South to begin tackling poverty and climate change, reducing inequalities, and improving access to health and education services. The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) is an international foundation working hard to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The public must be educated about safe water and sanitation. Image by Freepik
IWSH is currently working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, with many ongoing projects contributing to its mission. However, access to safe water is not where it should end. With climate change becoming a new reality, it’s integral to begin to look to modify our current system to render it more sustainable. Investing in sustainable plumbing materials, eco-friendly appliances and recycling water and materials would help IWSH to lead by example by focusing on Sustainable Development Goal No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The Importance of Providing Clean Water and Sanitation
Simply put, clean water is a human right. Yet, there are more than two billion people around the globe who lack access to clean drinking water and another 4.5 billion people without access to proper sanitation water. Without access to safe water and sanitation, the risk of disease increases significantly; inadequate sanitation and hygiene are related to approximately 50 infectious diseases, with the deadliest killing 580,000 children under 5 years old every year. A study done by Inoue and Ogasawara found that clean water caused a 40% decline in mortality rates from certain diseases between 1900 and the 1940s. The importance of working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 is apparent. This year alone, IWSH has worked all across North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa on various projects to build safe water and sanitation systems and educate individuals on plumbing and the importance of safe water.
Current IWSH Projects Educating Youth
To advance Sustainable Development Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, IWSH has begun to work with youth in New Mexico and India, teaching the new generation how to implement safe water systems in their communities. By reaching out to the youth and teaching them the necessary skills, IWSH is supplying communities with the tools needed to be self-reliant regarding their water systems, especially in underprivileged areas. Recently, IWSH created a plumbing program for the Navajo Technical University, making a big impact in the community for years to come.
Collaborating With Indigenous Communities
IWSH has also worked extensively with indigenous communities to improve the water systems on their reserves. A study done in 2018 found that 39% of wells on a reservation in Montana were unsafe due to high amounts of unsafe chemicals. Typical sewage systems will not work in these areas, either, due to soil quality and high cost, meaning IWSH has been making innovative steps to help these communities work toward achieving safe water and sanitation. IWSH has also begun collaborating with indigenous communities in Australia, establishing sanitation and clean water systems and educational programs. By working directly with indigenous communities, IWSH is helping underprivileged populations gain access to clean and safe water, working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 6.
Becoming Future Leaders
An important piece of creating safe water and sanitation access is ensuring that the systems that are being created are sustainable and benefit the environment. Looking to the future, IWSH has the opportunity to become a leader in the industry by prioritizing water systems that live in harmony with the earth, working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Creating more sustainable and environmentally friendly water and sanitation systems would include using sustainable materials, installing more eco-friendly appliances to reduce water wastage, and recycling water and plumbing materials.
Using Sustainable Materials
To build sustainable communities, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal No. 11, it’s necessary to begin using materials that won’t harm the planet. The most commonly used types of piping in plumbing are metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. PVC pipes are made of cheap plastics, making them an appealing option to many buyers, however, it has detrimental environmental impacts due to their tendency to leech harmful chemicals and microplastics into the water supply. Each time PVC piping is cut to meet specific proportions needed for projects, billions of both visible and invisible micro and nano plastics are released. Unfortunately, metal piping isn’t the best option, either, as it begins to rust and corrode after approximately 20 years of use, causing rusty water and making it unsustainable for long-term applications as it begins to leech chemicals into the water. The most sustainable alternative to these two popularised materials is eco-friendly plastic pipes, made from materials such as polyethylene and polypropylene, which the environmental activist group Greenpeace has recognized as a viable, sustainable plumbing material for the future. By advocating for the use of sustainable materials, IWSH would become a leader in the industry and start working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Eco-Friendly Appliances
An important piece in working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 11 is using energy-efficient appliances to reduce water and energy consumption and help keep our limited water supply available further into the future. All around there are many environmentally conscious alternatives on the market, such as low-flow showerheads, water-saving toilets, solar-powered water heating, and more energy-efficient appliances. For example, 20% of a home’s energy usage is dedicated to water heaters, therefore, by switching to a solar-powered water heater it would become much more energy efficient and better for the planet as a whole.
One way for IWSH to begin investing in eco-friendly and energy-efficient appliances for their various projects is to look for the Energy Star certification on products. The Energy Star certification is an extension of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and products containing this label are certified energy efficient and protect the climate, air, and public health. By investing in eco-friendly appliances, IWSH could lead by example and work toward clean water and sanitation for all while also building sustainable communities.
Recycling Water and Materials
An extremely promising way of working toward safe water access and sustainable communities is to begin recycling and reusing both water and plumbing materials. To prevent many items from sitting in landfills, recycling materials used in plumbing is a good way to preserve our planet, as leaving potentially harmful materials in landfills has the potential to leech damaging chemicals into the earth. Additionally, recycling materials saves money on materials, meaning it’s equally as sustainable for the plumbers/companies as it is for the earth.
Some charities exist for lightly used plumbing and construction materials, therefore, instead of buying all new materials for plumbing projects, it would be beneficial to purchase as much as possible from these organizations. Water itself is also in limited supply, making it an integral resource to conserve. Properly managing water is integral to preserving water for future generations, and with this, comes the concept of recycling water.
Currently, 97% of urban runoff water is not reused, and instead, is discharged into oceans, lakes and rivers. Considering water is a limited resource, recycling and reusing our water would enormously impact future generations. To become a future leader and begin working on Sustainable Development Goal No. 11, alongside No. 6, IWSH would greatly benefit by promoting the recycling of both materials and water in plumbing and sanitation projects.
IWSH has already made significant strides to work toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The goal that IWSH has been mainly focusing on is Goal No. 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. To work toward this goal, IWSH has taken on many projects to advocate and take action to achieve clean water for all, including, but not limited to, educating youth, and collaborating with indigenous people around the world. Looking toward the future, IWSH has the potential to become a leader in the industry by prioritizing sustainable practices to preserve our planet, thus working toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Using sustainable materials, installing eco-friendly appliances, and focusing on recycling water and materials would help IWSH make giant strides in sustainability. IWSH has already made huge positive impacts in the global community, it will be inspiring to see how they use their resources to make further changes in the future.
 David Viola, IAPMO CEO |
In the spirit of the sharing of unique experiences that shape the plumbing industries in our respective nations, the following essay was a runner-up in IAPMO’s 2023 annual Scholarship Essay Competition. First introduced in 2009 and open to any student actively enrolled in a high school, community college, trade school, four-year accredited college or university or working in an apprentice program, the competition has elicited entries from all over the world. Written by Seanna Kryger of George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine. |
