Turning on a tap is second nature to us.

But for many people around the world a simple task like that would be something special. Across the globe 650 million people do not have access to safe, clean water and more than 2.3 billion do not have access to basic sanitation.

The charity WaterAid, which is supported by Bradford-based Yorkshire Water, is raising awareness about the water crisis in the developing world. They are inviting people to sign a petition and ask the UK Government to lead the way in making taps and toilets safely accessible to everyone everywhere by 2030.

To support the campaign, and coincide with World Water Day, which takes place this week, people can change their profile picture on Facebook and Twitter with a blue wash using an app on the WaterAid website.

In the year to April 2015, staff, partners and customers of Yorkshire Water (YW) helped to raise more than £270,000 for the international charity WaterAid to help tackle this issue. The company aims to raise £1million by 2019 and are on target to achieve this.

Their efforts as volunteers are helping to transform the lives of communities in Ethiopia, where its current fundraising efforts are focused.

Yorkshire Water’s operational manager Erica Lack, who is also chairman of Water Aid in Yorkshire, has seen at first hand on a trip to India, the effects upon a community of having no safe, clean water supply.

“It is all-encompassing. The amount of time it takes for women and girls to walk to collect water - which can be several miles - is staggering, and can take up most of the day leaving no time to attend school or do other things. Then there are people who become sick from drinking dirty water and need looking after."

She adds: “Planning to go to the toilet takes time too, as women and girls often wait until after dark to relieve themselves when they cannot be seen.”

People can also be attacked as they make their way to communal toilets. Toilets built by WaterAid are sited in safer locations.

“Access to water and sanitation is fundamental,” adds Erica, “In the developed world, we tend to take it for granted until something goes wrong and then we realise just how vital it is.”

Among the fundraising events organised by YW this year is a race day at Doncaster Racecourse on April 23, sponsored by five firms from across the region. “There are seven races and a live band,” says Erica. Other events taking place throughout the year include cricket days, golf days, five-a-side football, walks and quizzes. There is also a ten kilometre and five kilometre run around one of YW's reservoirs.

A new WaterAid briefing - ‘Water: At What Cost? The State of the World’s Water’ - reveals where in the world is most difficult to access clean water and how the world’s poorest often pay far more of their income on water than those in the developed world.

The analysis shows that in the developed world, a standard water bill amounts to about 0.1 per cent of the income of someone earning minimum wage. However, in a country like Madagascar, a person reliant on a tanker truck for their water supply would spend as much as 45 per cent of their daily income on water to get just the recommended daily minimum. In Mozambique, families relying on black-market vendors will spend up to 100 times as much on water as those reached by Government-subsidised tapstands.

When WaterAid digs a well or installs a tapstand, the effects can be life-changing - they aim to highlight that, as well as campaigning for governments to help.

Since 2013/14 WaterAid has reached 1.9million people with safe water and 2.9 million people with sanitation. Since 2004, the charity has reached 18million people with sanitation.

Fiona Callister at WaterAid says: “This World Water Day WaterAid is encouraging people to ‘Go Blue4Water’ and raise awareness about the world’s water crisis. More than 650 million people around the world still don’t have access to clean water. WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone everywhere has safe water and proper toilets. So change your social media profile picture blue, dress in blue, bake blue cakes and help turn the world blue.”

  • For more information visit wateraid.co.uk; for ways to go blue and donate: #Blue4Water. The charity has also shared the seven things #WaterIs to them and invites people to join them with their own #WaterIs selfie.