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Issue Summary
WATER ... America's Most Precious Commodity
Freshwater is a limited resource in high demand:
Only 3 percent of the entire world's water is fresh water. According
to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), "subtracting saline ground water
and inland saline seas from the remainder, less than 0.5 percent of the Earth's
water is directly suitable for human consumption, agricultural or industrial
rises." These
competing interests constantly vie for this incredibly valuable resource.
Skyrocketing population growth in metropolitan areas continues to strain
available and quickly diminishing water supplies.
The U.S. population has and will increase nationwide, driving up water demands:
The U.S. has the highest population growth rates of any industrialized country in the world. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population doubled from 135 to more than 270 million during the past 60 years and is projected to double again to 540 million in the next 70 years.
According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), tremendous population growth, driving increases in the use of the public water supply, is anticipated in the Western and Southern states, areas that are already taxing existing water supplies.
"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water"
--Benjamin Franklin
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