A recent report on CBS News with Katie Couric highlights America’s dwindling water supply.
According to the report, Americans use more than 150 gallons of water by the time they turn in for bed each night. That is more per day than people in any other nation on the globe.
“Water is overtaking oil as our scarcest natural resource,” says Steve Solomon, author of the new book: Water, The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization.
Across the country, state and local governments have been battling each other for water.
Florida and Alabama have been disputing the use of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System with Georgia and the Army Corps of Engineers for 20 years according to Florida’s Department of Environmental protection.
In 1989 the Corps proposed to reallocate the water use of Lake Lanier. Located in Metropolitan Atlanta, Lake Lanier is the origin of the river system.
The system provides municipal water to Atlanta residents, which has since been a detriment for Alabama and Florida’s municipal water users.
The Southwestern United States is under the greatest threat of a near depletion of its water supply.
In Las Vegas for example, the city’s primary water source, Lake Meade is disappearing at an alarming rate. This is due in part to excessive use, and drought.
Officials are now hoping for an increased flow of water from the Colorado River this year, Lake Mead’s water source. Otherwise, water woes may arise later this year for the Las Vegas area’s 2 million residents.
It is important that governing bodies across the nation, and especially citizens do more to conserve water and power.
The population of the United States will likely double by 2050 according to the U.S. Census bureau. Coincidentally, this would come at a time when cities like Las Vegas, and Phoenix will likely become unlivable. That is, if nothing is done about the water problem.
America should pay more attention to its problems at home, rather than focusing on problems abroad.