Water, a Treasure Less Treasure.

Go to the supermarket, corner store, or even the nearest food truck and you will find one or more brands of bottled water. The United State has no problem doing whatever it takes to keep their water supply readily available, even if the process is detrimental. More than 25% of our water supply comes from pumping our aquifers. What Americans fail to realize, is that this convenience is hurting not only our environment, but our fellow citizen too. Water pumping, what should be a temporary supply, has taken a toll on our country and it is time

to put an end to this harm. 

 

In the 19th century, when scientist barely understood the concept of an aquifer the United States birthed its first ground water law. The law stated that land owners may pump as much water as they want as long as it is for reasonable use. Because 2 pumping ground water is not a popular issue, this doctrine is easy to ignore. On the bright side, families that do pump their water excessively are not the main issue with ground water.

 

 

America’s biggest problems with ground water pumping come from farmers and the companies that bottle water. Irrigation for farms use two thirds of the ground water supply. In the beginning, farmers did not need to irrigate; the weather took care of the plants. However, companies like McDonalds and Burger King, where every fry ‘needs’ to be the ‘perfect’ length, farmers are forced to work against nature.

 

 

 

By watering their crops to meet the food industries standards’, farmers take part in drying up the land that we need for our plants and animals. Tuscan, Arizona is living, or should I say dead, proof of the harmful effects ground water pumping has on the environment.  

The San Pedro River, what was once a meeting place for birds from all over, was completely dried up by 2005 because of the over use of ground water. 

 

We are losing or most valuable resource, and in return companies are force to build plants that recycle drinking water. In Big Spring, Texas, residents will resort to drinking “treated domestic sewage” from a $12 million water waster treatment plant. Editor in chief of Environmental Science & Technology, 3 perold I Schnoor says “ I guess there’s three reasons why we’ve finally embraces water reuse: (1) It is raining too little in dry places; (2) We are withdrawing too much water; and (3) We are not conserving it as we should.” Considering 60% of Americans drink bottled water, all of those points seem very valid.

 

In hindsight, all of the blame should not only go to farmers, but to companies that bottle water too. A company such as Perrier, an international water distributor, has around 50 pumping site in the United States alone. Their sites are partly responsible for cracked foundations in Tampa, Florida, a loss of plant life in Arizona, and almost destroyed the Mecan River in Wisconsin. At the time Perrier, also known as Nestle in the United States, was convinced that the well they wanted to drill, 5 feet away from the spring, would have no harmful effects. Tom Maddock, a hydrologist from the University of Arizona says “The Nestle guy says this isn't going to impact the spring." Tom replied, "He's not a hydrologist, he's a hydrostitute." 

 

This ‘hydrostitute’ does not care about the dangers Perrier brings to the land. All the company cares about is over charging for ground water and slapping the label ‘spring water’ on it. But as the water runs out, they proceed to drill deeper, which in turn produces water with less quality. “Bringing fossil water 4 to the surface may cause other water quality issues. When aquifers are depleted, they can be subject to an influx of surrounding contaminants such as saltwater—a particular problem near coastal areas”( Brian Handwerkfor National Geographic News). Harmful chemicals, such as arsenic and radon, have been detected in the water from deeper wells. With such a small amount of

regulation, you could be drinking contaminated waterunknowingly.

 

Knowing that America is taking part in destroying our land and putting our health in danger drives me crazy. Yes, we need water to survive, but when do we realize the con’s out way the pro’s? “This is a daunting topic, but groundwater deserves special attention as a critical environmental issue.”