Dying for a drink ?

23 May 2003

Glastonbury regulars know what it's like to just get a prime position by the main stage only to find yourself gasping for a drink... of water. Well, aid is on tap again this year, from WaterAid - it literally does what it says on the logo!

Make your way to the WaterAid stand to the left of the Pyramid stage and volunteers will serve you a cup of cool water. For you it's as simple as that. But for over a billion people in the world getting clean water isn't so easy.

The poorest people of Africa and Asia walk up to 22km or have to dig deep, dangerous pits to find water. Even when they do find it and make the back-breaking journey home, the water is usually full of diseases. These diseases kill a child every 15 seconds and are responsible for filling around half the world's hospital beds.

WaterAid works with the world's poorest people to help them to build and maintain a lasting supply of safe, clean water close to home.

Also available at the WaterAid stand are water bottles, plastic macs (just in case!) and limited edition Kurt Jackson t-shirts printed with one of his famous Glastonbury paintings. There will also be a water carry competition where festival-goers will be challenged to carry amounts of water that they use every day. This is no mean feat when you know that just one toilet flush uses an average of 11 litres which weighs 11 kg! Join in the fun (no spillages allowed!) and experience for yourself the water carrying challenge that women and children in Africa and Asia have to face every day of their lives.

DYING FOR A PEE?
DON'T USE THE STREAM -
Use some of the best loos at Glastonbury by heading for the King's Meadow to WaterAid's African Pit Latrines. They are odourless and kept clean by volunteers and are examples of WaterAid’s sanitation work in Africa and Asia. To keep you entertained whilst you queue you will be treated to an exhibition of World Press Photography award winner, Brent Stirton's pictures taken whilst visiting WaterAid's work in Ghana. This exhibition will also be available at the backstage loos and is sponsored by rpm photographic.

WaterAid helps some of the world's poorest people improve their sanitation and hygiene knowledge as well as gain safe water projects. There's no point in having clean water if diseases are still spreading through poor sanitation and bad hygiene practices. The simple act of washing hands after going to the loo reduces killer diaroheal diseases by a third.


  • During 72 hours of Glastonbury 43,200 people will die from diseases caused by lack of safe drinking water or from adequate sanitation.
  • It costs less than £15 to provide someone in a developing country with safe water, sanitation and hygiene education for life.

TURD ALERT
WaterAid is famous at the festival for its use of amusing costumes, like the taps and toilets. This year we will be unveiling our new design. Look out for a brave WaterAid volunteer dressed as a giant turd, complete with feeding fly on their back!

There's no place like Glastonbury to get those water and sanitation messages across!

For more details of WaterAid’s work contact them at Prince Consort House, 27-29 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UB, Tel 020 7793 4501

Words: Chris Binding

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