Today iS WORLD WATER DAY

Millions of people across the globe have no daily access to clean water. Women in rural parts of China, Africa and throughout Asia often walk miles to and from the nearest well. Just getting enough water for the cooking and drinking of a family can fill up 6 or even 8 hours. It's easy to see why millions and millions of girls and women never become educated (no time) or develop real support systems (no time).
Most of us can't imagine a scenario in which we turn on a tap and nothing happens. But even in America water systems are antiquated and crumbling and industrial poisons and perscription drugs are seeping into groundwater supplies. WE are over pumping our aquifers (natural reservoirs beneath the Earth's surface)while praying for rain as more and more folks migrate to arid and semi arid regions within our borders. Forget climate change ... unfortunately for us, droughts in the west and southwest of this nation have often lasted 30, 60 or even 150 years over the past 11,000 years.
Let's say you have a checking account from which you take money every month and to which you never make a deposit. Eventually, the money runs out.
America's surface and ground water caches are a lot like that bank account - and so are the pipes and wells and pumps we built decades ago that we have rarely properly maintained or replaced.
That bill is coming due and when it does, the scrabble and infighting over water will become ugly right HERE.
What can we do, any of us? Know where your water comes from. Know what kind of shape the pumps, pipes and wells are in. Know how much it costs for your water agency to deliver this precious commodity to you. For example, it may cost them $100 an acre foot, $300 an acre foot, $600 an acre foot? (An acre foot = about 326,000 gallons and is a common water measure.) But if your water source is endangered for whatever reason and your water company has to look for additional sources of water, you're talking REAL money - water entitlements in California are about $5,000 per acre foot.
So the next time you turn on the tap, think about it. And the next time you think about "my water" try to remember - it's OUR water.
Celebrate World Water Day!!!