By Joen Lane, Ideal Family Weight Loss Center
Our last two articles discussed the importance of drinking enough water and the best methods for filtering tap water so that it tastes good and is also safe to drink. We also revealed the best in bottled waters for a society that’s on the move with an attitude of convenience. This month, we’d like to conclude our series by focusing on the water crisis that the United States may soon be facing.
To date, Americans have enjoyed water on demand at a very cheap price tag. That’s about to change. Based on the sheer number of articles and white papers written in the past five years, the United States has been headed into a water crisis whose surface was only brushed by Flint, Michigan. Sarah Ferris and Peter Sullivan, writing in April for The Hill, a top political website, stated that, “The situation has grown so dire the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence now ranks water scarcity as a major threat to national security alongside terrorism.”
“We are billions of dollars behind where we could and should be,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), who spent 12 years on a municipal water board before running for state office. “People in the clean-water world would tell you they’ve been shouting about this for a long time. For much of the U.S., most people don’t perceive any shortage,” he added. “But we’re going to talk a lot about shortages now.” Some of the oldest pipes still in use, built from cast iron in the late 1880s, were expected to last about 120 years. Newer pipes, built during the post-World War II boom, were designed to last about 75 years.”
A closer look reveals that not every city has turned a blind eye to the water problem that plagues a majority of cities in America. Leaders in Madison, Wisconsin, began replacing lead pipes almost immediately after the EPA tightened lead standards in 1991. The project cost $15.5 million and spanned 11 years, ultimately resulting in the removal of 8,000 lead water pipes. Similarly, the city of Wichita, Kansas, is about to complete a decade-long project to replace about 1,500 lead service pipes with copper or plastic. Public works teams replaced between 100 and 200 per year, with each pipe costing about $1,200. Other cities are eyeing similar strategies. Lansing, Michigan — about 60 miles away from Flint — unveiled a plan this spring to replace its lead pipes.
So why does this global water topic concern us? The premise that the world is one giant ecosystem lends itself to the idea that local water supplies and the life that they support eventually affect the entire planet. So, what happens in one part of the world happens to all of us, especially where water and nature are concerned.
What can we do as individuals, employers, and community leaders?
- Find out what your own local water reports reveal about the safety levels of your drinking water.
- If you live in an older home or older area of your community, find out what infrastructure exists, such as lead, cast iron, or wooden pipes and talk with your city council, mayor, state or federal representatives about plans to improve and replace infrastructure within the foreseeable future.
- Test your own tap water at home and office and choose which products or services are necessary to filter it properly for drinking and cooking.
- Reach out to children in the rest of the world who have no water or no sustainable water. TheWaterProject.org is a great way to begin. A financial gift on behalf of your family this holiday season would help a family in need.
- Realize the fact that our water sources must be respected, protected, and treasured, as the gifts they truly are.
- Children are our future, talk with your children about ideas to save on water usage.
- Most importantly, drink plenty of water. It’s the basis of life!
Joen Lane is a certified weight-loss coach with ideal Family Weight Loss & Life Balance Center, offering Ideal protein, the medically developed, sensible weight loss protocol. The center is located at 2103 E. Washington St. in Bloomington. Their mission is to help people take control of their weight and keep it off. Classes are offered on a variety of food and lifestyle topics. For more information, please call 309-661-3235.