IMPENDING GLOBAL WATER SHORTAGE

 Dear Mayor Jones:

Nationally and globally, the world is facing a shortage of clean water.  Municipalities that sold away water rights to commercial bottlers in the 1950s are now trying to get them back in court (and mostly losing).

If this suggestion seems like the plot to a dystopian science fiction movie, then you are not paying attention.  St Louis is one of the few places in this country that has the capability to prepare fully and even lead by example, but we must start now.  There is no time to waste.

Money will not buy clean water when there is none. Hoarders will not be able to save enough to save themselves. The National Guard cannot distribute supplies that don’t exist. And supply disruptions to computer chips will be disastrous to grid dependent nations like ours even before the shortages of drinking water become serious.

Underdeveloped nations still have accessible natural resources and the ability to use them. In the U.S., hoarding toilet paper won’t help when there is no water to flush the toilet and no grid to sustain our sewer system.  Some folks might be able to purify water from the Mississippi and other bodies of water, but it won’t be like camping for a few days, it will be a slow and painful disaster for millions of people. 

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/spring-2019/a-map-of-the-future-of-water

https://www.fb.org/market-intel/first-ever-colorado-river-water-shortage-declaration-spurs-water-cuts-in-th

https://www.consumerreports.org/bottled-water/how-coke-and-pepsi-make-millions-from-bottling-tap-water-as-residents-face-shutoffs/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/29/the-fight-over-water-how-nestle-dries-up-us-creeks-to-sell-water-in-plastic-bottles

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2021/10/01/634847.htm

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/584266-american-supply-chains-face-a-dire-threat-from-chinas-water

One of the good things about a shrinking city is that it will be much more manageable to organize if a shortage or natural disaster strikes. Especially if we are prepared.  Also, we have abundant water resources.  But we need to capitalize on this now, and start taking rainwater collection, greywater systems, and groundwater preservation seriously. 

The first thing we need is a real plan in case of shortage or disaster. One of the first things we can do is divide the city up in 6-8 block sections and find neighborhood “team captains.”  In a natural disaster, a situation like Katrina, or a supply chain disruption, where there is a threat of looting, neighborhood team captains would coordinate distribution of supplies from stores and warehouses, so that everything was accounted for and distributed equitably, fairly, and with proper accounting for later reimbursement.

Team Captains would also coordinate communications if there was a grid shutdown that prevented cell phones and wifi from operating, when even solar charging devices won’t help. (Solar charging stations should also be in the plan, though.) This could be by other means like HAM radios, or person to person.

Neighborhood captains would also be prepared with supplies for people with medical conditions and other issues that are grid dependent- oxygen tanks, mobility devices, etc. In each area, there needs to be people that know the area and the residents well. (As a sidenote, I disagree with the re-districting plan for the Alderpeople. We need more representation, and more leaders, not fewer.)

If we combine this city-wide Neighborhood Team network with the collection of rainwater in each area, purification supplies, and begin asking residents to conserve water and adopt greywater systems in as many public facilities as possible, we will be able to “weather any storm” figuratively (or is that literally?) speaking.

Have a plan in place and start preparing now.  And if nothing happens, we have conserved water and are prepared for any emergency.

Thank you for your time.