Oxfam New Zealand

1 March 2017

Can you survive 24 hours without turning on the tap?

New Zealanders around the country are being challenged to go a whole day without turning on their taps – at home and at work – in a brand new project hoping to provide easy access to clean water for our Pacific neighbours.

Taps Off Day is being organised by leading anti-poverty organisation Oxfam, and is taking place on 22 March, in support of families and communities in places such as Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea who do not have access to safe water.

The project is launching today (Wednesday 1 March) with the release of a short film starring award winning satirist and writer Te Radar. The film can be seen at www.tapsoff.org.nz.

While going 24 hours without being able to turn on the taps might seem like a wild idea to most Kiwis, it is a daily reality for many people in the Pacific.

Oxfam is hoping thousands of New Zealanders will take part in Taps Off Day. Those taking the plunge on 22 March can’t turn any taps on from midnight, but can fill up bottles, buckets and other containers with water the day before. And, yes, flushing is allowed.

Money pledged towards the event will go to Oxfam’s water, sanitation and hygiene projects in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. Papua New Guinea currently has one of the lowest rates of access to clean, safe water in the world.

Charlene Fitisemanu from Oxfam said: “We’re fortunate here in New Zealand to have easy access to water that is clean and safe to drink. Most of us don’t even think about what it’d be like not to have an endless supply of this life-giving liquid at our fingertips.

“However, many of our neighbours in the Pacific aren’t so lucky, and have to walk for hours to the nearest water source – often a river that’s used for everything from drinking and washing, to bathing and using the toilet.

“We can all help improve this by taking part in Taps Off Day on 22 March, to help those who don’t have a tap by not turning ours on for a whole day. The money raised will do real good in helping alleviate water poverty for people in the Pacific.”

To take part, register at tapsoff.org.nz, pledge a minimum of $10 and turn off your taps for 24 hours from midnight on 22 March. Just $75 is enough for a new tap stand in Vanuatu.

Te Radar said: “In Papua New Guinea, women and girls spend hours every day collecting water from rivers that’s often not even safe to drink. By taking part in Taps Off Day, you can help them access clean water, so that they and their families can lead safer, healthier lives.”

Auckland Civil Defence Director John Dragicevich said: “Not only is Taps Off Day a way to recognise the hardship of our Pacific neighbours, it is also a wake-up call for us locally. Auckland Civil Defence is supporting this campaign as a reminder that we are not immune to natural disasters affecting our water supply.

“We know that the average New Zealander uses about 200 litres of water every single day. Taps Off Day is a great way to raise awareness of the issues we would face if our local water supply was ever to be compromised. It is a reminder to check our emergency supplies and to think about how prepared we are.”

Oxfam’s work in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu includes water, sanitation and hygiene projects that focus on improving the health of rural communities, through access to safe water supplies, sanitation facilities and improved hygiene practices.

Taps Off Day is happening on the same day as World Water Day, which happens every year on 22 March. The day focuses attention on the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

ENDS

If you’re taking part in Taps Off Day, then please:

Only use water you’ve collected in buckets and water vessels to drink, cook and bathe. But you can flush!

Remember that Taps Off Day starts at 12.01am, so it’s best to get ready the evening before. The challenge finishes at 12pm that night.

If you can’t take part on 22 March, then no worries. Feel free to have your own Taps Off Day anytime in the same week.

If you’re doing exercise, or anything else, that requires heavy exertion remember to prepare sufficient supplies.

Stop the challenge if you’re feeling light-headed and you’re running out of supplies.

Share your efforts on social media using the hashtag #tapsoffday

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