While much attention has been paid to our planets limited oil reserves, experts are warning that water may soon eclipse black gold as earth’s most precious commodity.  There is a growing concern that fresh water supplies are falling short, which could lead to disastrous consequences.  A thorough report from the UK Guardian explains:

Global population, economic development and a growing appetite for meat, dairy and fish protein have raised human water demand sixfold in 50 years. Meanwhile, supplies have been diminished in several ways:

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Flood victims in the Midwest are worried about what’s in the water they’re wading through, and concerns over its potential for creating sickness and disease are mounting. Not only has the flood contaminated drinking water and forced people out of their homes, but reports of all manner of noxious refuse have been seen floating in the water in downtown Cedar Rapids, including propane tanks, drums labeled corrosive, railroad ties, pesticides, and dead birds and fish. In addition to the poisoned water, millions of mosquitoes are spawning over the stagnant floodwaters.

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by Kerry Trueman

Michigan resident Barbara Walter, who draws her water from a well near a landfill, recently found a business card from a health department worker stuck in her front door with this message on the back:

“We sampled your water and you need to stop drinking it. Please call me in the morning between 8:30 and 10:30.”

Walter’s water was so contaminated by hazardous solvents that the state now provides her family with bottled water for drinking, cooking and bathing. Michigan had allocated some $760 million in bond funds to clean up the toxic leftovers of industry, but with thousands of severely polluted sites, the money’s evaporated, unlike the poisons contaminating the state’s soil and water. Looks like it’s taps for Barbara Walter’s tap water.