[cogitator]

While water shortages may be a local issue, I seem to remember from my high school freshman science course (45 years is a long time ago) that there is no less or more water than there has ever been, that the form it's in may change (liquid, solid, etc.), and the place it's in may change, but it's all still here.

Pretty much true, but the quality of freshwater is the main concern. And as water is diverted for various uses, natural systems may not get enough water to maintain ecosystem integrity. The Mattaponi River example in the article is a good one.

[metesky]

Pretty much true, but the quality of freshwater is the main concern.

Water can be purified. The people of Lawrence, Massachusetts have been drinking, bathing and cooking with Merrimack River water for forty years. Zero dead.