How much water does a person need each day? And what is “virtual water”? At LANXESS’s “Water” project week in summer 2009, some 200 schoolchildren learned how to handle the prime source of sustenance responsibly. The events took place at four German high schools in Krefeld, Bitterfeld, Leverkusen and Cologne.

Clean drinking water cannot be taken for granted
During the five-day workshops, the junior high school students discovered how the chemical industry can help solve the global water problem – with products to treat drinking water and wastewater, for example. The accounts by a representative of aid organization AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation) made a particular impression on the youngsters. She painted a vivid picture of the difficult everyday life of schoolchildren in Tanzania – a life without sufficiently clean water. This really spurred the workshop participants on. They worked in teams to come up with suggestions for improving the global water situation. The event concluded with a presentation to fellow students and teachers, and the best group contribution received an award.