Clean Water

One summer when I was a kid, my brother, Paul, and I stayed with an aunt and uncle and their two children in the country - way in the country.  They lived there, in the woods at the edge of a corn field for a short time.  There was no electricity and no running water.  I remember it being a fun place for kids.  I did not feel deprived.  My aunt did the ironing by placing two or three of those old irons people like to use for door stops on top of the wood stove.  While she was ironing with one, the others were heating up. I thought it looked like fun.

Every day the girls went to the stream with buckets and carried in water.  Sometimes the boys ran ahead upstream and muddied up the water so then we'd have to wait until it ran clear again.  I remember this being fun.  And the water, when we finally captured it was clear and cool and tasted great.

We've come a long way since then.

As I've shared in this blog several times, clean water is not to be taken for granted.  And now we have  the Flint, Michigan mess - which has not been resolved and shenanigans are still taking place.  But help is being provided by all kinds of folks from around the country.

Many people around the world are saying water will be our next global crisis.

What can we do?  We can no longer go to the stream and expect to find clean water.  We have to rely on our government to protect us.

There's an editorial in this morning's Orlando Sentinel written by Linda Ferrone, board president of Orlando Utilities Commission explaining how Orlando receives its water from the pristine Lower Floridan Aquifer.  In addition to federal and state regulations, OUC does its own testing.

I have checked up on the water situation in my town, Altamonte Springs.  It's good.  I'm grateful.  But I want clean water for every person in the world.  That's probably not going to happen soon.  However, city water poisoning our children in this country is unthinkable.  Look up the water company in your city and other cities that interest you.  Find out if they are complying to the Federal Clean Water Act.

These days I find myself thanking God almost every time I turn on a faucet and find clean, clear water.


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