We are visiting Rajasthan in the dry season. This is a cooler time of year with less rain. Temperatures during the day are in the 80s to 90s and at night in the 40s and 50s. Water is necessary for all living things. The picture on the left shows the village and irrigated crop land. It is lush and green. On the right is the view from the other side, where the land is dry. Udaipur has many lakes and streams. 
These are used for drinking water, for bathing and for other things. In the city, there are beautiful palaces on the lakes.
City streets have open sewers that run into the lakes so the water in the lakes and streams are not always clean and good for drinking.
In the rural areas and parts of town, people depend on public pumps as locations to get their water. This water needs to be carried home, or used at the pump.
These women are returning home from working. They are carrying water and other things that they needed for the day.
Having pumps for well water is one way to make the water that people drink safer. Many households do not have running water -- so a safe source of water is critical. Water from the pumps can still have germs that can make some people sick. Foreigners need to drink bottled water to stay healthy. Bottled water is too expensive for many villagers. At Bowman we use water bottles all the time for convenience.
What would it be like if you needed to carry your water for cooking, washing and drinking to your house each day?
Room 11 second graders think that carrying water for cooking, washing and drinking would be heavy and exhausting! Could it be done on the way to school? Could a conveyor belt be made and used? Students would try to get enough buckets for a few days so that they would have to complete fewer trips!
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