The assumption that clean water supplies will always be available is being challenged as the signs of water stress are everywhere. Water delivery systems (aqueducts, dams and reservoirs, desalination) are prohibitively expensive; groundwater reservoirs are rapidly being depleted; lakes are shrinking due to diversions; wetlands are being devastated; most surface streams are polluted and overused. 1.2 billion people already do not have access to safe, reliable drinking water. This is the cause of 80% of the diseases in developing countries. As world population increases fresh water supplies per capita go down and the conflicts over how water is consumed go up. Access to clean, dependable water supplies for all life on Earth is an imperative that it is not guaranteed, but requires a serious reconsideration of the values and priorities that underlie our lifestyle choices.

Palm Tree in the U.S. after irrigation turned off.
Image from Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature

With water stress issues becoming a global problem, approaches toward management of this vital resource have come under scrutiny. Under a paradigm of 'supply management' business and political leaders have traditionally approached water problems by finding new sources or developing technology that aids in the exploitation of existing sources. Today this paradigm is undergoing transition toward a way of conserving and optimizing existing resources. Understanding both surface and groundwater processes is crucial in order to make wise scientific, political and economic choices regarding water for present and future generations.