04/17/14
Six students in Fort Hays State University's Global Environmental Issues Class are sponsoring "Are You Strong Enough to Carry Water?" between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday, April 21, and Tuesday, April 22, in the Quad.

The event aims to raise awareness of the lack of portable water available in developing countries.

"People easily take water for granted," said Amber (Honig) Lane, Onaga senior. "This event is a creative but powerful way to remind people how nice it is to have portable water."

The public is invited to carry water jugs representing the amount of water people in developing countries carry on a daily basis between the Memorial Union and Picken Hall -- a distance of 0.2 miles.

The United State Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day, an average of $1,100 per year in water costs.

The World Water Organization reports at least 1 billion people must walk three or more hours to obtain drinking water and some can walk up to 10 hours to collect water before spending hours boiling it to make it drinkable.

Lane said, in preparing for this project, "I have learned how much water we use on a regular basis and how easy it is to conserve even a few gallons of water a day."

"Are You Strong Enough to Carry Water?" will coincide with Global Leadership Projects' Earth Day events.