Our Nation’s Water Supply – Part I: Heading for Crisis

If you know us here at RainHarvest Systems at all, you know that we are passionate about saving and conserving water, whether it comes from the sky or not. But do you know why? Today we’d like to share some information that may come as a surprise to you: Global water supply is headed for crisis, and our country is following suit.

Here in Amercia, or the “Land of Plenty”, we are pretty removed from the global water crisis. For the most part, we all have toilets that flush and refill, we can turn the faucet on and get clean drinking water, and we can even use water for meanial things like watering our lawn or washing our cars.  So it is hard for us to think of the possibility of our water supply running short. What many of us don’t realize is that water is not a resource that we can take for granted. While it technically is a renewable resource thanks to the rain, if we aren’t careful, we can use it faster than it can be replenished – a problem that is happening right now in certain parts of our great nation.  And when it runs out, we’ll be in big trouble. Let’s take a look at a few facts:

And just for added measure, here’s the most recent look at our nations groundwater supply. This particuler map shows the places where our groundwater levels are below normal:

All of those things and many more are behind our hearts for conserving and saving water. It’s not because it’s the cool, trendy thing to do right now. It’s not just a hobby or a crazy obsession. We care about conserving water because all of our lives depend on it. And if we can work together starting now, there’s a chance we can reverse the future we’re headed for if we don’t.

Stay tuned for Part II of this series! We’ll discuss things that you can do now to start making a difference (Hint: it starts with rain harvesting!)…

Until then, be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!

Sources: http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/  | http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/08/19/california-drought-nasa-says-land-sinking-faster-in-san-joaquin-valley/ | http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groundwater-california-drought-aquifers-hidden-crisis/ | http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ogallala-aquifer  | http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/why-you-should-care-about-water-conservation-infographic | http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6735/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-the-Worlds-Water-Infographic.html