Water Crisis – Water Is Not As Free and Plentiful As You Might Think
Yes, we are in the midst of a water crisis. For some people this might come as a complete shock but for others it is old news. Next to oxygen, water is the most important thing that people need to survive and only about 1% of the Earth’s water is fit for human consumption. Water is an incredibly precious commodity and as the human population explodes on this planet it gets increasingly difficult for people to have access to an adequate supply of fresh water.
It’s no surprise that people in developing countries have a more difficult time getting fresh water for their basic needs but the water crisis that the world is facing is not limited to third world countries with no money and no infrastructure. The United States of America has a water crises of it’s own, several crises actually.
The Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer
One water crisis that we are facing in the United States is the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer is a vast underground reservoir underneath the states of South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. Tens of thousands of wells tap into this aquifer and countless farms use this water to irrigate their crops. The problem is that we are using the water faster than it can be replenished.
It is estimated that 6% of the aquifer has already dropped to unusable levels and if we keep using the water at the current rate we will lose another 6% every 25 years. Once the water is drained from the aquifer it is gone and scientists say that it would take 6000 years for the aquifer to replenish itself through natural processes.
The Draining of the Great Lakes
Another water crisis that we are facing in this country is the draining of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes hold more than 20% of the world’s surface fresh watter. In addition to drinking water the Great Lakes support a number of industries from hydro-electric to fishing and shipping. For as long as anyone can remember the water level of the lakes has remained pretty constant however in recent years the water levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron of been dropping. Although disputed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a study has found that levels have been steadily declining for the last 44 years.
Some people think the drop is due to climate change. Others think it is because of a drain hole effect caused by dredging and other activities that cause erosion and funnel water out of the lakes. Whatever the cause, some scientists are saying that the Great Lakes could be completely empty in 80 years. Another potential cause for lower levels in the Great Lakes leads us to another water crisis we are facing and that is the privatization of our water supply.
Privatization of the Water Supply
A lot of people assume that their local municipal water supply is controlled by their city or county government. 30 years ago 78% of the money for new water projects actually came from the federal government but today that number is less than 3% and during the Clinton administration several changes were made to tax laws that made it easier for cities to privatize municipal water and sewer systems. This means that corporations are in charge of how water is distributed and how much customers are going to pay for it.
The corporations will tell you that privatization is a good idea because governments are inefficient and lack the expertise to run their water systems. The scary part is that when a company owns the water supply they can charge you as much as they want and they can even ship your local water to another area so that the residents of your community do not even benefit from the water that is on their public lands.
Private companies are also not subject to the same rules of disclosure as public agencies and therefore they are not required to open their books or justify their fees. They just send you a bill and you pay it or they turn off your water.
Another frightening fact is that the companies that can buy access to your local water supply don’t even have to be U.S. based companies and access to, and control of, the water can be sold to foreign companies. Now who thinks it’s a good idea if China or some other country can purchase and control access to our water supply? Any company, foreign or domestic, could charge you as much as they want for water that is on or under your land or they could even sell it to other customers in another area who are willing to pay more for it.
Water is our most precious resource and there is a major water crisis going on, a crisis which is only going to get worse. A lot of people believe that in the future wars will be fought over water the way people fight over oil today. There is no easy solution to the various problems we face as a nation and as a global community but people have to be aware that a problem exists before steps can be taken to correct it.
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Category: Water Crisis
