ethical water

Here in the UK, if you want a drink of water, all you have to do is simply turn on the tap and ‘hey presto’, you’ve a fresh glass of cool, clean water to quench your thirst.

But unfortunately, in other areas of the world, it isn’t that easy.

Over one billion people across the globe still don’t have access to clean drinking water. And two million people, mostly children, die every year from drinking contaminated water. Shocking isn’t it?

The Co-operative's ethical water

In August 2007, The Co-operative launched the first own label ethical water which guaranteed a donation to charity for every pack bought. Sales to July 2009 have paid for a staggering 238 PlayPumps in Africa giving 600,000 people access to clean drinking water.

A water well and pumping system for a village costs just £5,000 and ensures the whole communtiy has access to free, readily available clean water. The pumping systems are powered by roundabouts, or PlayPumps, which the village children can play on and pump water up to a storage tank for the whole community.

There is never a shortage of "volunteers", and the pumps are so efficient that they also produce excess water for irrigation purposes.

Of the 238 pumps, 73 are located in Lesotho, three in Swaziland, 48 in Malawi, 68 are in South Africa and 46 are currently awaiting installation.

So by supporting our campaign, you could be helping provide more than just clean drinking water. 

Find out more about the water for water campaign and how much we've raised so far.