The global water crisis claims 5,500 lives each day—more than war, natural disasters, AIDS or hunger. It is an important global problem but not an impossible one to solve.

There are still 780 million people who do not have access to clean water or proper sanitation. Women and children in the developing world spend about 152 million hours each day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources.

Pumps & Systems, has presented a great special series, "The Gift of Clean Water" which focuses on this world wide problem and the people and companies working to alleviate it.

Doc Hendley was a 30-year-old who woke up one night with a vision that led him to research the life-threatening effects of poor sanitation and bacteria-filled drinking water.

The vision turned into his life’s mission—to provide clean water access to one person, one family, maybe even a whole village In the past 10 years, Doc Hendley's organization, Wine to Water, has drilled, repaired or rebuilt more than 600 wells in underdeveloped regions

Pump manufacturer Grundfos teamed up with Water Missions International to raise funds and awareness for the cause.

Xylem, Inc. (parent company to many brands including Bell & Gossett, Flowtronix, Goulds Water Technology, and more) has partnered with best-in-class nonprofits to address the full spectrum of water challenges by providing financial support, water technology, and sanitation and hygiene education.

To read this excellent series and find out how pump technology is making a difference and how you can help in these efforts, click here. For more information about the global water crisis, visit www.unwater.org and www.water.org. Photos by Pumps & Systems and Doc Hendley.