WORLD CHLORINE COUNCIL RECOGNIZES POSITIVE IMPACT OF CHLORINE CHEMISTRY ON WORLD WATER DAY

Chlorine chemistry provides sustainable solutions for safe water and sanitation.

Brussels, March 22, 2008 – The World Chlorine Council (WCC) marks World Water Day by recognizing that clean water and sanitation are cornerstones of human health, environmental protection and sustainable development.  The WCC announced today that partnerships supported by the global chlorine industry are helping to give more than a half-million people access to clean water. 

Sanitation, the theme of this year’s World Water Day, highlights a global problem: More than two billion people on the planet lack access to sanitation services. Some regions are worse off than others—UNICEF Nigeria has called West Africa the worst sub-region in the world in terms of sanitation, with 64 percent of the population without proper sanitation.

In places like West Africa—and around the globe—chlorine disinfectants help provide sustainable solutions for safe water and improved sanitation by destroying disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites in drinking water and wastewater. As a partner in the West Africa Water Initiative, the WCC has contributed funds to purchase PVC water pipes that will help provide safe drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in rural regions of Niger, Ghana and Mali.

Chlorine Chemistry: A building block in solving world challenges
Chlorine chemistry is an important building block in meeting the world challenges outlined in the UN Millennium Development Goals. Water and sanitation are key factors in lessening hunger and poverty, boosting sustainable development, ensuring environmental integrity, and improving human health. In addition to chlorine-based disinfectants, chlorine chemistry makes PVC piping available. These corrosion-resistant pipes help maintain the quality of water as it is delivered to those who need it.

From reducing child mortality, to combating malaria and other diseases, chlorine chemistry provides thousands of products that are helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, improving lives around the globe.