Family Chooses a Week without Water

By Melissa Maynarich, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- You would probably never suggest that your family go without water. But that's what one family in Arizona is doing for an entire week.

The girls in the Bender home couldn't believe that their parents wanted to turn off all the taps, and instead haul water home from a mile away.

But they've given in. And they're devising a plan for the week-long commitment.

Mark Bender will bring in 10-15 gallons in the morning. Kristine Bender will make the trip to the well around noon. The girls will go after school, while hoping to raise awareness about the difficulty of finding clean water in Africa.

Waterislife.com distributes $10 water filters to people around the world. Just one filter provides clean water for an entire year. The Edmond charity says the filter is saving lives.

"This is what happens in the majority of the world," Ken Surritte said. "People have to go everyday to get water someplace else that's clean."

And that's why the Benders are willing to go without.

The Bender's decision coincides with World Water Day. And Kristine Bender is a volunteer with waterislife.com. They're hoping that what they're doing makes a difference.

The Bender's are blogging about their experience as well. Catch up with it all on the Water Is Life Web site.