Clean water access in Milwaukee, Palestine; panel discusses
MILWAUKEE - Clean water is something many people expect to see when they turn on their faucets, but it's not always available to some.
Health care workers and the Water is Life campaign hopes to raise awareness of that issue – whether it be lead poisoning among kids in Milwaukee or contaminated water overseas.
"Water is a clear component of everyday life for all of us," said Dr. Roa Qato, OBGYN physician. "The World Health Organization says that each person should have access, at the minimum, to 150 liters of clean water each day."
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While Qato said that may seem like a lot, she adds that taking showers and baths require clean water.
"It has to do with the amount of water we have, but also the quality," she said.
Water is Life panel in Milwaukee
In southeast Wisconsin, many people's drinking water still comes through lead service lines. Lead is toxic and can have detrimental effects on people's health.
"Wisconsin, one of the latest studies, there was 3.35% rate of lead poisoning among children under 6," said Qato. "In Milwaukee County, it’s 6.5%."
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The physician said access to clean water is a "basic human right."
"That also correlates with the restriction of water in Palestine," said Erica Steib with the Water is Life campaign.
Water is Life panel in Milwaukee
"The water that people even have access to is contaminated," Qato said.
The message behind Saturday's Water is Life campaign event was to educate the community about the real struggles of those who don't have access to clean water. Steib said that includes teaching about the "interconnected struggles for water justice."
"Behind these statistics there are lives that all have value," she said.