Water, a renewable resource, more valuable than ever!

Climatic changes, growing population, and over utilization of farming and industrial usage, has demonstrated an era of higher global temperatures, increased droughts, wide-ranging wild fires, losses of forests, disappearance of over 20,000 lakes world-wide, the diminishment of rivers, with 12 of the world’s largest rivers now not even making it to the sea.

Put frankly, demand and use of water is exceeding supply. Large cities are being forced to purchase water rights from farmers, converting prime farm lands into “water farms” for city use. Major lake systems show projected “outflows” exceeding replenishment.

In the world of economics, water has become, at the retail level, more valuable than gasoline. A liter of gasoline, at a convenience store now sells for 60 cents, a liter of drinking water $1.50 to $2.00!

The prospect for our world suggests that we need to consider new and improved water management policies. Economists and environmental experts the world over are concerned about real projections of water needs.

The prospect for our cities and counties suggests that there must be creative changes that fully analyze and take into consideration the new paradigm.

• The traditional means of managing water sourcing, and utilization will no longer work.
• We must use capital and resources now, to put in place new types of systems, new types of “renewal” systems of the resource, and new types of “banking” of water sources, with a combined effort to also renew and repair older systems that have been in place, but have not been utilized properly.
• Emphasis on water is an emphasis on health, environmental purity, and social responsibility.
• Water should be considered the prime resource for the “people”, our children, our grandchildren, and water resources should not be squandered, for the benefit of greedy developers, to create “water parks” for economic gain of a few. Water resources are of such a prime importance, we must carefully consider the prudence of using public funds to build “Water Disneylands” at taxpayer expense, we NEED TO BE EXPANDING OUR WATER SOURCES, RESERVES, AND RENEWAL SYSTEMS, for the taxpayers and consumers.

Examples of poor water management around the world:

• In China, some 2,000 water wells a year go dry, because of over irrigation
• In West Texas, thousands of acres of prime farmland are converted to “dryland” and pasture because of declining water tables
• In Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, we have experienced a 7 year drought brought on by an increase in mean temperatures world wide, increasing drought conditions.
• Snow bank levels have declined every year for the past 7 years, creating reduced water in New Mexico, Arizona, California, with impacts on underground water tables in Texas.
• Increased instability in weather patterns is causing water problems throughout the USA.

Cities are resorting to buying larger tracts of “water rights” because existing lake reserves are inadequate or poorly managed. Some water tables are threatened by oil and gas production with penetration of water tables in the drilling and production processes.

Water Resource Boards are finding developers creating "new uses" for public water funds and resources that only serve to increase appeal of real estate developments, but do not improve or enhance water supply for taxpayers. Should water resources be used for "reflecting pools" to enhance developer profits? Only if the cost/benefit to taxpayers shows a return to taxpayers and increased water supply and services to citizens. We need to keep our focus on what "water boards" are for. They are to provide water for people, to transport water, store water, and do water planning for the future. Not become a pawn for the rich and powerful who would manipulate public services for private profits.

Older established reservoirs are often "by passed" when good management would show that they need maintenance, upgrading and expansion of infrastructure and capabilities. (example dredging, removal of heavy metals and pollutants from lake beds, new modern filtration, pumping and purification systems).