by Mariana Hodges, Communications Manager

Hi guys! You might have caught a glimpse of me on our social media channels talking about the #4Liters Challenge last week. After my 24 hours consuming only 4 liters of water, I decided to write a blog post about the experience.

First I want to start with the WHY in this challenge, since that was the first question I would get from people.

WHY? Americans use more than 100 gallons of water a day, and most of us take it for granted. We assume that when we turn the tap, water will show up. However, for hundreds of millions of people worldwide water is scarce– and they have to survive with as little as four liters (about a gallon) a day. It’s incredibly hard to shift your perspective unless you actually experience it for yourself.

HOW? For 24 hours, you are only able to use 4 liters of water for everything you do. During the day it’s fun to documenting your experience with pictures showing your progress. At 4 pm, you need to record a short video where you show how much water you have left and challenge two friends to take over. This challenge is a way to change the way we think about water forever – and oh boy, it does!

MY BIGGEST CHALLENGES? I have to be honest with you, the biggest challenge I had was reminding myself NOT to use the tap. It’s almost an instinct for you to turn on the tap whenever you need water. Having to use a bottle every time I wanted to wash my hands, clean a cup, and brush my teeth had me re-educating my mind for sure. Also, I am in awe with how people can maintain a standard of personal hygiene with that little water. It made me value my hot shower even more.

As a result, the challenge made me think how blessed I am to be able to have access to running water. One that is safe, clean and at my finger tips at a twist of the tap.

To continue the chain and create more buzz, I have nominated the whole team at Falcon. I know it’s not usual to do so, but I thought we could twist the plot a little and have fun observing a whole team doing it together. We love organizing team building events around the office, and what better way to engage than taking the challenge together? So tune in on October 21st, to see what happens when a whole team has to carry around a gallon of water. I will be observing and giving the team my support! Maybe I’ll even throw in a few tips I acquired along the way.