How is our shortage of water affecting us?

[Matthew Anderson]

Increasingly, in some parts of the world, large businesses such as Nestle are taking fresh water from local towns in order to produce bottled water they can sell. These businesses take so much water, they draw down supplies of water, making it a challenge for local people to have access to clean, safe drinking water. People are fighting these businesses in court now, because they affect not only the people but also the wildlife and ecosystems. In order for us to keep control of our clean water, we must balance meeting the needs of local people, businesses, farms and wildlife to ensure there is enough water for everyone. Where there is not enough, business needs should come last now first.

The shortage of water is already severely affecting people in places like India. In New Delhi which is the biggest city in India, horns sound in the mornings signalling when people can draw their supply of fresh water for the day. After one hour, the water is redirected from the city to the farms. In the U.S. it is the exact opposite. In Pheonix which is a desert city, the people and businesses have access to the water all day for their lawns and golf courses. The country farms only get a small supply for a certain period of time. These are two examples where there is no balance.