The Weight of Water

U.S. states face water shortages 5

The catastrophic California wildfires got all the press, but it's worth paying attention to an equally intimidating but slower-moving threat: water shortages. From Georgia to Massachusetts, Florida to New York, the Great Lakes to the West, U.S. states are getting thirstier. In fact, the government predicts that at least 36 states will face challenges from inadequate water supplies within five years, thanks to a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, sprawl, waste, and overuse. "Is it a crisis? If we don't do some decent water planning, it could be," says Jack Hoffbuhr of the American Water Works Association. Officials hope that measures such as water recycling, efficiency, and desalination will save the day. In the meanwhile, local officials are tightening their grasp on any available supplies, and debates over how to address the problem are simmering.

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  1. flickerwind Posted 12:41 am
    06 Nov 2007

    A Change Of Attitude is Needed!Our local governments need to stop looking at our  lakes and rivers as simply a venue for tourism dollars.  They are placing way too much weight on recreational use and access over water quality.  And the chemical companies have successfully lobbied to get the laws changed nationally and locally so that in the case of what is determined as a noxious aquatic plant, they can disregard the clean water act.  Pretty scary.  Yes, there are noxious aquatic plants, but in many cases, there are sustainable long term control methods to use, which our great state of Idaho is refusing to look at.  Our big problem our here is Eurasian Water Milfoil.  Our county has dumped over 500,000 lbs. of herbicides into our waterways over a 3 year period!  They have proven to be marginally successful.  The chemical companies love it, the county re-applies each year - guaranteed income for them.  We need to include native plant revegetation programs and the rearing of native weevils who feed on the plant.  See http://www.environscienceinc.com for details on their programs.  Without re-planting of native plants, it is like the farmer who plows  his field and does not re-plant and is then surprised when the weeds take over!  Do you know what your local government is putting into your in the name of continued recreational/tourism dollars? And I won't even go into the run off issues with approved development, and in some cases, approved golf courses right up against the shore line!  We should all be concerned about the future - we have to live in it!

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  2. amazingdrx Posted 12:51 am
    06 Nov 2007

    Water pricesHow much does water cost in drought stricken areas like Georgia?  Are gas guzzling tanker trucks already being used to move water into Georgia?
    Who is regulating this "free" trade?  Another whole huge GHG source is coming online.  Oil powered water purification and transportation.

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  3. amazingdrx Posted 1:53 am
    06 Nov 2007

    Want water?Recycle the water you now contaminate and waste  by using wind and solar power.  Biogas digestion and water recycling.  And use drip irrigation and organic farming.  And composting toilets.
    And desalinate water using wave and windpower on offshore platforms that also provide clean kwh to the grid.
    I guess a water "refinery" would pay for itself if it used renewable energy to reclaim water and energy from the waste stream.

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  4. chelsea Posted 12:51 am
    11 Nov 2007

    Water shortageAn action that must be taken as soon as possible is to stop flushing toilets with drinking water.  There must be technology available to re-route the grey water from showers, tubs and clothes washing machines to a holding tank and then to the toilets.

    While composting toilets sound great and would be useful for new installations, let's modify what is already in place i.e. pipe and sewage systems which could be used with the addition of storage facilities.  

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  5. BILL HANNAHAN Posted 9:07 am
    11 Nov 2007

    Agricultural WaterTo grow and process the corn for one gallon of ethanol takes 3,300 gallons of fresh water. Some of that water comes from underground aquifers that are being depleted. To fill a 20 gallon gas tank with E-85 (85% ethanol) requires 17 gallons of ethanol, the production of which consumed 56,700 gallons of water, 472,000 pounds of water.

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