A worldwide water study conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), shows that the United States does not have the highest quality water of all nations. In fact, US water is not in the top 10.
In addition, The World Water Development Report - Water for People, Water for Life lists the United States at 63rd in terms of water availability.
Leading the list of the best water is Finland followed by Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, Russian Federation, Republic of Korea, Sweden and France. the US is ranked 12th in water quality.
The report ranks 122 countries based not only on the quality of their water but on their ability and commitment to improve the situation.
Belgium is at the bottom of both lists due to the low quantity and quality of its groundwater along with heavy industrial pollution and poor wastewater treatment. Other countries on the worst list are Morocco, India, Jordan, Sudan, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic and Rwanda.
When the report was first issued, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said:Of all the social and natural crises we humans face, the water crisis is the one that lies at the heart of our survival and that of our planet Earth.
No region will be spared from the impact of this crisis which touches every facet of life, from the health of children to the ability of nations to secure food for their citizens. Water supplies are falling while the demand is dramatically growing at an unsustainable rate. Over the next 20 years, the average supply of water world-wide per person is expected to drop by a third.