· Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation.
· Almost two in three people lacking access to clean water survive on less than $2 a day, with one in three living on less than $1 a day.
· More than 660 million people without sanitation live on less than $2 a day, and more than 385 million on less than $1 a day.
· Access to piped water into the household averages about 85% for the wealthiest 20% of the population, compared with 25% for the poorest 20%.
· 1.8 billion people who have access to a water source within 1 kilometer, but not in their house or yard, consume around 20 litres per day. In the United Kingdom the average person uses more than 50 litres of water a day flushing toilets (where average daily water usage is about 150 liters a day. The highest average water use in the world is in the US, at 600 liters day.)
· Some 1.8 million child deaths each year as a result of diarrhoea
· The loss of 443 million school days each year from water-related illness.
· Close to half of all people in developing countries suffering at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits.
· Millions of women spending several hours a day collecting water.
· To these human costs can be added the massive economic waste associated with the water and sanitation deficit.… The costs associated with health spending, productivity losses and labour diversions … are greatest in some of the poorest countries. Sub-Saharan Africa loses about 5% of GDP, or some $28.4 billion annually, a figure that exceeds total aid flows and debt relief to the region in 2003
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