by Kerry L. Thomas

Created on: October 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 11, 2008

Shortages of drinking water can be attributed to the following problems. Unfortunately our world has huge populations of people living right on the very edge of Mother Nature's ability to sustain them with precious natural resources. Despite the huge volume of water on our planet, we must realize that not all water sources are potable. Surface water, such as the ocean, or a river needs special treatment to make the water drinkable.

Ground water is more apt to be potable, however there are considerations with contamination from chemicals, etc. Wells that provide groundwater must be protected from contamination. Areas where surface runoff and wastewater can make its way back to the aquifer supplying the well will make it difficult to use as a potable water supply.

Consider a village in a remote area of Africa. Water will likely be their most precious resource. They need clean and potable water, but does the average person understand the difficulties involved in helping these people. The problem can not be solved as simply as one may think. Suppose a well is drilled in this remote village. These people may now have access to clean water...but will this access to water contribute to a increased demand due to population changes in the village? Will additional people move in due to the extra water available for the well. Over time the increased population is very likely going to increase the demand on the well. Sadly, even a change in the death rates from diseases can cause instability in the delicate ecosystem.

Another consideration is the concept of people that may carry their water supply considerable distances. Obviously there will be limitations on the actual amount of water that can be moved to meet the demand. We may intervene and offer tools that allow for the ability to transport more water, but how will this impact the delicate supply and demand system in place? If more water can be moved in the system, will more water be used? Will our newly provided solution actually help these people prosper or have we merely given them tools that will allow them to create an imbalance in the system? If they can now move more water away from what may be a limited supply, then the problem will only be compounded.

Both of the examples above will generate additional problems with waste water. If we add more water to use, then we must make provisions for treating that water and returning it back into the environment clean. More water essentially means more waste. Supply vs. demand is a constant in this difficult equation. This is a difficult concept to effectively manage.

I've thrown these ideas about to illustrate that meeting the demand for clean water is not as easy as drilling a well or offering tools to help transport water. The world community as a whole, must work in unison to understand and manage the supply vs. demand issues. We must learn to think and act with these concepts in mind.

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