by Tara Trenary, photos by Steven Hertzog
In the ever-changing world today, it is essential that we take steps within our communities to preserve our natural resources, especially water. It’s no secret our world is changing. Earthquakes, extreme storms, flooding, fires and drought have become the new normal. With so much change afoot, it’s inevitable that the use of our natural resources must evolve, as well. In the United States, water is an important part of our daily lives. Not only that, but ours is some of the safest water in the world. Every day, we wake up, drink some coffee or tea, shower, brush our teeth and start our day. Water use doesn’t cross most of our minds. But it is an integral part of every community. Without it, where would we be?
Essentials of Life “Water is critically important to the health and welfare of our community, from being able to have clean water to drink, perform household cooking, washing and sanitation purposes,” explains Josh Carson, public information officer with the City of Lawrence Municipal Services and Operations department. Plus, 66
“Most City projects use water in some form, from paving operations, concrete work, earth work, directional drilling, home construction or any type of building construction.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose purpose is to protect human health and the environment, notes on its website that without water, we’d have no local business or industry, no way to fight fires, no municipal parks or public swimming pools, no way to grow food or manufacture goods, no way to keep businesses running smoothly or to meet the nation’s vast energy needs. Water on Earth might seem quite abundant to the untrained eye, the EPA site adds, but less than 1 percent is actually available for human use. The rest is either saltwater found in oceans, freshwater frozen in the polar ice caps or water that’s inaccessible for practical usage. While population and demand for freshwater resources increases, supply remains constant. The water cycle continuously returns water to Earth, but it’s not always to the same place, in the same quantity or of the same quality.
