66 Protec ting Communit y Water
Water and Community Health
Water is nature’s gift. And water security (regular access to enough safe water)
is a necessary part of community health. When people make decisions together
about how to collect, store, and use their common water resources, they can
ensure community water security.
To have enough safe water, most people are willing to do the work required
or to pay a reasonable price. But in many places, water people need for
drinking is contaminated by germs, worms, or toxic chemicals, is taken instead
by industry or industrial farming, or is sold at a price people cannot afford.
People’s needs for water for survival and health must have more importance
than other uses when decisions are made about how much it costs and how it is
protected, conserved, distributed, and used.
Everyone needs water
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012