Is the Future of Water Blue gold?

Must-do’s to Conserve Our Drinking Water

Marilyn Regan

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Photo by Johnny McClung on Unsplash

We can live without oil. And we can live without water.

For about three to four days, a week at the very most, depending on the outdoor temperature and exposure to direct sunlight.

Our bodies are made up of as much as 65% water and every body part and function relies on it.

Water is basic to all life.

While 70% of the earth is covered by water, only 2.5% of that is freshwater. But like oil, water and water rights are being purchased for private use.

The Wall Street Journal reports that, although privately owned water systems in the United States declined in 2007–14, the trends are reversing. This was done in part due to Trump’s encouragement. The infrastructure is crumbling and repairs are in the billions.

The problem is, private companies’ main concern is to return profits to their shareholders. For now, they have been unable to expand access to clean water or provide new investments.

Harvard University is one of those investors, buying large tracts of farmland and the water rights attached to them. So yes, people do expect to make money from their water stocks.

What does this mean? Will water be rationed? Will it go the way of healthcare with the rich getting the best and most?

It’s frightening to consider.

The United States consumes more water per capita than any other country: three times as much as China and 12 times as much as Denmark.

Arizona residents use 147 gallons a day, this does not include agricultural use or water used to generate power. Wisconsin residents use 51 gallons a day, for the most part by filling swimming pools and watering their lawns year round.

“When water is bought and sold more freely, its value begins to match its importance.” ~ Liquid Assets, by Abraham Lustagarten, ProPublica.

When I speak of water use, drinking water is only one. Water is used for cleaning, agriculture, entertainment, and maintaining property. There may be enough to drink, but not to support large estates with gardens and swimming pools.

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Marilyn Regan

Marilyn is a writer, yogi, and spiritual medium. Her favorite people are animals, especially ones that meow. She loves the ocean and hates one-use plastic.