World Water Day

March 22 is World Water Day, and to mark this day Council of Canadians chapters and allies will organize activities across the country to promote water as a public resource and a human right.

This year, the Council of Canadians is actively involved in battles against lakes being turned into dumpsites for mining waste, the privatization and corporatization of water services in Canada and around the world and the commodification of water through water markets, bottled water, and industrial abuses of water resources like the tar sands. We are fighting for a national water policy that recognizes water as a human right and a public trust.

Click here to see events in your community.

Here are some of the ways you can get involved:

Blue Communities Project
canadians.org/bluecommunitiesproject

1. Set up a Water Watch Committee
   Water Watch Committees are the first line of defence against water privatization. Click here to find out how to set up a Water Watch Committee. Have a launch party for your Watch Watch Committee on World Water Day and let the local media know.  
2. Use the tips and tools in the Blue Communities Guide
   The guide is a useful resource to help you call on your local government to:
   • adopt a declaration on the right to water.
   • fight the privatization of water and wastewater services.
   • stop the sale and purchase of bottled water.

Unbottle it!
unbottleit.ca
While calling for municipal and school board bottled water bans, you can also ask local businesses, festivals, churches and other community groups to stop purchasing and selling bottled water in their spaces or at their events.

Saint John NB chapter members Phyllis Hart and Sue Shedd toast tap water

Lobby your elected representatives
The Council of Canadians is  calling on the federal government to support municipal water and wastewater services through a national water infrastructure fund of $31 billion. While your Member of Parliament is in their constituency office, meet with them and share the Council of Canadians’ call for a national water policy that includes adequate funding for water infrastructure. Click here to read more about the national water policy.

Arrange a public water utility tour
Many public water utilities encourage group tours. Build faith in your municipal water utility by
organizing a group tour where members of your community can see first hand what your water
supply goes through before it gets to your tap.

Make a splash in the media
Let media know about your World Water Day event. Set up meetings with local journalists and the editorial board of your local paper to let them know about local water issues. Download the World Water Day media kit here.

Take the tap water pledge
Click here to show your support for public tap water by signing the tap water pledge.

Join the gallery of tap water supporters
Take a photo of yourself with a glass of tap water, or showing support for tap water in some other way. Send your photos to bluecommunities@canadians.org. You can also take photos of local politicians, and encourage members of your community to send in photos by setting up a photo booth. Get creative and show your support!

Music
Water song by Canadian duet, t@b (download lyrics)
t@b offers use for World Water Day.

Keep us informed

Be sure to keep us informed of your World Water Day activities so we can highlight them on our website. Send us your photos and event details at webmaster@canadians.org.

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