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Project: Splassh.

In the west, we tend not to think about it too much: we turn on a tap and clean water comes out. Yet, around the world, more than one in nine people lack access to safe water, and nearly 840,000 people die from water-related diseases every year. That’s more than the entire population of San Francisco.

And even in the US, water pollution is a huge issue. Every year, lakes, rivers, and streams are inundated with pesticide run-off from farms; salt, dirt, and gasoline from cars on roads; spills and accidents at factories, mining or fracking sites, and more.

In short, water safety and security is one of the biggest, and yet, least discussed issues we face in our future. That’s something the website Splassh would like to change.

A social network about water projects, Splassh’s mission is to inspire water conservation through awareness.

You can participate by registering at the site, and posting a project about a waterway in your area. You can also simply browse existing posts. For example, you can learn more about the Virginia Key North Point Restoration project, where a volunteer habitat restoration program is restoring 17 acres of coastal habitat at Virginia Key North Point.

“Students, citizen scientists, and researchers post their water project to increase public awareness. People can browse, comment, and discuss the shared water projects. People can track, monitor, and subscribe to receive updates for water projects,” say site organizers. “Our mission is to inspire water conservation through awareness in hopes of tackling one of the biggest global challenges that we face as a society, the sustainable use of water.”

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Chandra Clarke is a Webby Honoree-winning blogger, a successful entrepreneur, and an author. Her book Be the Change: Saving the World with Citizen Science is available at Amazon. You can connect with her on Twitter @chandraclarke.