Fresh water: we take it for granted that we can drink, cook and clean ourselves with safe water, yet more than one in six people worldwide don’t have access to this safe, clean water. And if we don’t have clean water, as many don’t

in Africa, people get sick, which drains the health budget. Water is vital in agriculture and in providing food security. But it’s valuable. Do you know how much it takes? 1000-3000 litres for one kilo of rice.

Assembly on Wednesday 25 November given by Geography students explored the importance of water from different perspectives.  Year 8s  Alice, Ana, Esme and Molly gave us an example of how  humans can affect natural eco systems and how we could learn from our mistakes. They told us about the Aral Sea, situated between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in SE Asia, which used to be the 4th largest inland sea providing a livelihood for those living round it and a home for many fish, birds and mammals. Short-sighted and thoughtless use of water depleted the supply however, and the Aral Sea changed from a flourishing environment to a bleak saltpan; an ecological disaster.

Isn’t it time we stopped to consider our own use of water? Where do we get it? 80% of it in London comes from our reservoirs linked to the River Thames and Lee; 20% comes from boreholes connected to g roundwater stores.  Year 10s Rosie, Maria, Anika and Clea shared some of their learning about the watery world of London. Dig far enough and you might find the Thames Water Ring, an 80k pipeline which supplies London buried in the heavy clay.

		Top tips from Year 10 might inspire some of us to take short showers rather than fill baths, to run only full loads in washing machines, to fill and boil only the water you need in a kettle,  and to mend dripping taps and to turn them off when cleaning your teeth. If you want to check your own daily water consumption, go to www.thameswater.co.uk/thegreatdebate. You use a lot more than you think.

Focus on drinking water for week in December and you will be doing a lot to raise awareness of the work of Water Aid, working in 17 countries to help the poorest people to access safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education. Get sponsorship and you will make a tangible difference: £500 will buy a handpump to give a whole village clean water. Year 12s Angharad and Sophie and Year 13s Lucy and Grace spoke about the geography of health. 3.4 milllion people on average die each year from water-borne diseases. Lack of access to clean water breaks down the whole infrastructure.

For the past 10 years JAGS girls across the school have given up their smoothies, their hot chocolate and fizzy drinks in favour of water for a week (this year 7-11 December) while eating normally. (Having milk with cereals is allowed and anyone required to take a special drink for medical reasons should continue to do so).