Many Bolivian people have fought to gain access to clean water that they can easily access. This is a big theme in the city of Cochabamba and also in many rural places that do not have running water.
I learned a lot about water in Cochabamba. In 2000, a famous public movement took place concerning the water in the city. At that time, an American business got a contract with the city concerning the usage of the water. That means that the business was paid wehn people used water, not the government. The people protested a lot and eventually changed the system! This was called the Water Wars (even though there was no war).
There is clean water in Cochabamba, but it mixes with contaminated water in old pipes, so it isn't directly drinkable. If you boil the water for three minutes or put in some chemicals that can kill the bacteria, then it's drinkable (but the chemical is usually bleach or chlorine, so it doesn't taste good). The water that comes out of the spout could have parasites or amoebas, both of which make you get really sick. Even beyond these issues, some people don't have access to running water at all!
