Ninety-eight Percent

I learned from a "Star Trek" episode, where an Alien race turned most of the crew into hexagonal cubes to hijack the Enterprise, that we are made up of about 98% water. No. Although I may have been around to watch the original airing, I saw it on multiple repeats during syndication. But geez, that's not the point here!

Water is something we all take for granted, especially here in the Los Angeles area. Technically, we live in a dessert. But our forefathers made sure that we were able to live long and prosper by purchasing land North of us, so that water could be brought to us via the Aqueduct. This is the only time that our Politicians thought ahead concerning our future and infrastructure. Can you imagine what our Freeway and Mass-transit system would be like if they also had used the same foresight?

However they did not use the same foresight when it came to saving water. Some parts of Los Angeles used to flood, almost as bad as when Katrina hit New Orleans, and many lives and homes were lost. So the sewer system was designed to remove water, not to save it. Rain water gets diverted and goes straight to the ocean. We are always in a drought situation because we do not have enough catch basins, reservoirs and/or lakes where rain runoff could collect.

Anyway, you need water to survive, there's no doubt about that. You can go without food for several days, but without water, that time is lessened.

Threats to our water supply have been increasing for some time.

Just our constantly growing Communities are causing shortages and redirecting of resources. The farms want water, industries want water, the North, South, East and West want water, and there's NOT enough to go around. Really, there isn't. We are on an 8-year drought, and it's only now that our Politicians are telling us to conserve water. They should have done it years ago, but were hoping that it would rain. Look at lakes such as Big Bear and Arrowhead lakes. They are at their lowest level, and getting lower every year.

We contaminate our water system everyday with chemicals, by either putting it directly into the water, via the sewer system, or allowing it to seep in through the ground. And not just in Los Angeles, but throughout the World. Our Oceans have contaminants, and the Sea supplies a lot of our food.

Besides drinking and cooking, there are other uses for water. These uses are wasteful, when water is NOT readily available. In emergency situations, bathing and washing hands could be done with baby wipes. Toilet flushing as well. If the water supply is damaged, then the sewer system probably is too. Time to dig a hole in the ground. Can you think of other things?

Water is very important, it means 98% to you. Without it, you will not survive. Period.