When I became politically aware
that water was a commodity, I was outraged.
As a kid, you turn on the tap, you jump into
the swimming pool, or you take a shower
believing that Mother Nature was the sole
provider of this free resource and her well
would never run dry. Two rising problems in
this country are headed for a head-on
collision: the rising costs of water and the
scarcity of water.
The water industry controls the
collection, treatment and distribution of
water to agricultural, industrial, and
residential users. The water companies have
investors that need to see annual profits in
their portfolio. And profits they make. I am
not stupid or naïve; I know that it costs to
get safe and clean water to homes, farms and
businesses. It’s the profit part that
deserves our scrutiny. The super profits
being made should be going back into
maintenance and upgrades to ensure
preservation and access to water.
The aging infrastructure system in
this country that begs for overhauling
includes water treatment and delivery
infrastructures. President Biden pushed for
a $2 trillion proposal that barely addresses
the problems because retrofitting rail
lines, changing out rusting sewer pipes and
repairing crumbling bridges have not been a
priority in this country for decades.
Military aggression has.
Based upon the trauma we are
putting on the planet, it will become more
difficult - and more expensive - to
guarantee safe water to residents. The EPA
tells us that the average American uses 300
gallons of water daily. Demand and supply
are becoming more imbalanced as population
increases and water supply decreases. Most
states have already predicted water
shortages in the next ten years unrelated to
drought.
Milwaukee
recently
tested its water source for PFAS (per-
and polyfluoroalkyl substances). They
are a group of over 9,000 chemicals
created and used in everyday products
for over 70 years. Products like
shampoo, packaging, make-up and a host
of other items. These “forever
chemicals” are showing up in Wisconsin’s
water supply and in water supplies all
over the counrty. These chemicals don’t
break down in the human body or in the
environment, and they also accumulate
over time. According to the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), they are
associated with cancer, liver damage,
decreased fertility, and increased risk
of asthma and thyroid disease.
U.S. cities are struggling to
maintain clean and safe water supplies for
its residents. It’s not just Flint,
Michigan. From Baltimore to Orlando to Los
Angeles, cities are losing the battle to
maintain safe and sufficient water supplies.
Some cities are dealing with actual
water shortages like Las Vegas. Sin City
draws 95% of its water from the Lake Mead
reservoir, which channels the raging
Colorado River. The alarm has been sounded
many times that the lake is down to less
than 40% of its capacity. Environmentalists
predict there won’t be enough water in the
next decade to run the generators.
Other
cities
like Las Vegas, Tucson and Phoenix are
situated in dry places with sparse rainfall,
and yet people continue to water their
lawns, pamper their golf courses, and go to
water parks with little recognition of the
impact of their water waste. There have been
insignificant lifestyle changes focused on
giving Mother Nature some much-needed
relief.
Like climate change and global
warming, water problems are largely human
made. There are too many people living in
environments that cannot sustain them. There
are too many toxic chemicals created by
manufacturers and overused by every sector
of society, especially in agriculture. The
health of humans and the ecosystem are in
peril right now and can only worsen in the
coming years.
Access
to
water is a human right and all of us must
work together to protect that human right.
However, we have different relationships to
the problem and its solutions. Consumers
will have to change their lifestyles for
sure, but the enormity of the problem and
its solutions lies in the laps of government
and the water industries. We must understand
the anatomy of the issue so that we know how
to hold these powers accountable. The
situation requires drastic, coordinated
measures on all levels to address the
problem now or face catastrophic
consequences later.
