--- title: World Water Day: 5 Ways to Celebrate Water description: Sunday is World Water Day, a United Nations initiative to celebrate clean water and bring attention to those who don't have enough of it canonical: https://time.com/3753021/world-water-day/ author: Mandy Oaklander article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-21T16:38:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:57.996Z article:section: Health og:title: 5 Ways to Celebrate World Water Day og:description: A holiday for H2O og:url: https://time.com/3753021/world-water-day/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87246745740847d8/6987782ecd6848201f098ec0/water.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2545 og:image:height: 1432 og:image:alt: water og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Ways to Celebrate World Water Day twitter:description: A holiday for H2O twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87246745740847d8/6987782ecd6848201f098ec0/water.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Ways to Celebrate World Water Day > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Should I Drink Seltzer Water? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Seltzer Water?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SSdTN2EQ.m3u8) (1:30)  _Published 2015-02-04. Seltzer -- also known as bubbly water, carbonated water, soda water and sparkling water -- comes with as many health myths as it does names. Luckily, seltzer is one of the rare instances where something you love drinking isn’t bad for you._  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Mar 21, 2015 4:38 PM UTC  Water being poured from a pitcher into tall glass clear glass. Water being poured from a pitcher into tall glass clear glass. Getty Images  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Mar 21, 2015 4:38 PM UTC Sunday is World Water Day, a United Nations initiative to celebrate clean water and bring attention to those who don’t have enough of it. [A new report](http://time.com/3753332/world-water-day-un-warning/) released ahead of World Water Day warns about a looming shortage, and centers on this year’s theme: water and sustainable development. Here are five ways to celebrate World Water Day **Learn about poop water** First [charcoal juice becomes a thing](http://time.com/3678820/charcoal-juice-health-benefits/), and now poop water? Hey, Bill Gates drinks it—[thanks to a new machine](http://time.com/3656199/bill-gates-drinks-water-poop/) called the Omniprocessor that literally transforms waste into water through a steam engine. On his [blog](http://www.gatesnotes.com/Development/Omniprocessor-From-Poop-to-Potable), Gates writes about drinking a “delicious” fresh glass of it and marvels at the possibilities to improve sanitation in low-income countries. “The processor wouldn’t just keep human waste out of the drinking water; it would turn waste into a commodity with real value in the marketplace,” Gates writes. **Take a break from meat** Showering and hydration are hardly your main uses of water—but food is. The average American uses 7,500 liters of water each day, [according to the U.N.](http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/learn/en/?section=c325497) If you’re eating meat, your water usage shoots way up; a steak dinner for two requires 15,000 liters of water for the meat alone. Eating more meat and dairy has been the single greatest factor for water consumption in the past 30 years, says the group—so going vegetarian, even temporarily, can make a difference. **Wash your hands the right way** [Only 5% of Americans do](http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/14/only-5-of-americans-wash-their-hands-right/), according to a study of men using public restrooms. (If you need a refresher on proper technique, you should use soap and water and wash for at least 15 seconds.) Sounds gross—and it is a public health hazard, according to UNICEF, organizers of [Global Handwashing Day](http://www.unicef.org/media/media%5F60084.html), another water-related holiday worth celebrating. “Handwashing with soap prevents disease in a more straightforward and cost-effective way than any single vaccine,” supporter UNICEF writes. ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME **Support a future female farmer** Most of the world’s hungry are women, says the U.N.’s new report, and most don’t own land—or even have time to make an income, since 25% of their day is spent collecting drinking water. “With equal access to resources and knowledge, female farmers, who account for the majority of all subsistence farmers, could produce enough additional food to reduce the number of the world’s hungry by 150 million,” the report says. Investing in water and sanitation actually helps improve equality, which helps stimulate the economy—every dollar invested yields between $5-28, the UN estimates. **Give better water to the world** A new report from WaterAid America found that [one in five babies born in the developing world dies during its first month of life](http://time.com/3747473/babies-poor-hygiene/) because of a lack of clean water. And 35% of facilities in middle- and lower-income countries didn’t have water and soap for hand-washing, another report from the World Health Organization found. John Green, author of _The Fault In Our Stars_, [recently teamed up with Bill Gates](http://time.com/3418834/john-green-bill-gates-clean-water-ethiopia/) to raise money for clean, safe water in Ethiopia. You can donate to water.org [here](http://give.water.org/f/johngreen/?utm%5Fsource=greengates&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=johngreen%5Fethiopia). ## Transcript Seltzer. Also known as bubbly water. Carbonated water. Sparkling water. Soda water. Comes with as many health myths as it does names. Luckily seltzer is one of the rare instances where something you love to drink actually isn't bad for you. We asked five experts. And all of them say bottoms up to bubbles. Seltzer is a great soda alternative since it doesn't have calories or sugar. Professor Laureen Smith of Ohio State University says it's great for getting kids to stop drinking sugary sodas. The carbonation won't leech calcium from your bones and seltzer is not associated with lower bone density in women. Men. That's according to studies by Robert Heaney of the Creighton University School of Medicine and Douglas Kiel of Harvard Medical School. Basically, drinking seltzer water is like drinking regular water, says Sarah Bleich of John's Hopkins School of Public Health. It's harmless. The bubbles might even help you feel more full and eat less fat, according to one study. Lastly, seltzer water tends to grace the glasses of the rich says Adam Drewnowski, Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington. According to him, seltzer water is just plain tap water going upscale. 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