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yournamehere · 07-26-2009, 07:55 PM

Living in the Western U.S., we're used to this - everything has to do with water rights. Currently, the water from the Colorado River is divided up among 7 U.S. States and Mexico. Unfortunately, everyone's share was determined by the predicted average annual flow rate of the Colorado, but guess what? Turns out whoever did the math overestimated it - not even once since then has it reached that "average flow," and right now we've been in a decade-long drought. Which means no one is getting as much water as they've been promised - and planned for. Presently, Colorado doesn't even allow its citizens to capture the rain that falls on their roofs and property - they insist it belongs to the State.

It's been said the next big war will be fought over water. Access to potable water is becoming a big problem, across the globe; and not just in third world countries. Currently, less than 3% of the planet's water is potable - and that number shrinks as global warming melts the glaciers which used to hold vast amounts of pure water.

Conservation is the key - and recycling. Also - the prudent use of graywater. We've got to stop using potable water for things like irrigation, flushing toilets, and filling swimming pools. These things can be done with either recycled water or harvested rainwater. People need to get over their fear and "ick" factor at using recycled water. The technology today is adequate for water recycling with no health concerns. The biggest concern left is proper removal of hormones and other proteins before recycled water is truly drinkable, but the products of water treatment plants today are fine for the uses mentioned above. Yes - even swimming pools.

But hey - I'm also for a reversal of the poplulation explosion. This planet would be much better off if a generation or two would limit themselves to one child, like the Chinese.

07-26-2009, 07:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
yournamehere Invisible Location: tentative, at best	Living in the Western U.S., we're used to this - everything has to do with water rights. Currently, the water from the Colorado River is divided up among 7 U.S. States and Mexico. Unfortunately, everyone's share was determined by the predicted average annual flow rate of the Colorado, but guess what? Turns out whoever did the math overestimated it - not even once since then has it reached that "average flow," and right now we've been in a decade-long drought. Which means no one is getting as much water as they've been promised - and planned for. Presently, Colorado doesn't even allow its citizens to capture the rain that falls on their roofs and property - they insist it belongs to the State. It's been said the next big war will be fought over water. Access to potable water is becoming a big problem, across the globe; and not just in third world countries. Currently, less than 3% of the planet's water is potable - and that number shrinks as global warming melts the glaciers which used to hold vast amounts of pure water. Conservation is the key - and recycling. Also - the prudent use of graywater. We've got to stop using potable water for things like irrigation, flushing toilets, and filling swimming pools. These things can be done with either recycled water or harvested rainwater. People need to get over their fear and "ick" factor at using recycled water. The technology today is adequate for water recycling with no health concerns. The biggest concern left is proper removal of hormones and other proteins before recycled water is truly drinkable, but the products of water treatment plants today are fine for the uses mentioned above. Yes - even swimming pools. But hey - I'm also for a reversal of the poplulation explosion. This planet would be much better off if a generation or two would limit themselves to one child, like the Chinese. __________________ If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors: "If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too." It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.