Most of us never think about where our water comes from and often take for granted that when we turn on a faucet, water comes out. We take a showers and never think about how much water we use. Watering plants and lawns on a summer day is typical of many suburban homeowners. How quickly are we using up our water supply? Read on and you might be surprised at what you learn.

Our Major Supply
Typically, our supply for water comes from rivers, lakes, and streams. Over time, however, that water supply begins to become diminished and must be replaced. This is where groundwater comes in. This is water beneath the Earth's surface. Groundwater supplies drinking water for more than half of the US population, and almost 100 percent for rural populations. It helps crops grow, is used in various industries, and recharges our freshwater. In other words, groundwater is critical for survival.

Water Scarcity
Water scarcity is the lack of available water resources to meet the usage. Over time, our population has grown tremendously, and continues to grow every day. In fact, the population is growing and using water much faster than it can be replaced. Water scarcity affects the entire world. Over a billion people at this time lack access to clean drinking water. Other factors water scarcity can affect includes climate changes, pollution, and waste. 

Waste is often seen in industry. Used for crops and factories, water is often wasted before it can be used. T. Luckey Sons, Inc. who do dam repair in Ohio are often called to projects where leaks and excavations wasted more water than they saved.

The Effects
Water scarcity is affecting all of us and many of us don't even realize it. Man-made products can often get into groundwater and pollute it. Examples might be pesticides, road salt, and oil. Drinking this water can cause diseases and our wildlife is harmed continuously through this. 
If we have lower water levels, wells will no longer be able to reach some groundwater and more energy must be used to pump the water. This causes costs to rise significantly. Lakes and rivers are diminishing rapidly, and the supply to replace is simply not coming in fast enough. Water is constantly wasted by industries and homeowners. For example, many sprinkler systems are set on an automatic timer. 

Our children and grandchildren are facing limited water supply in the future. Wildlife are dying out due to contamination and low supply. Where will our new water source come from? We need to pay attention and help take care of the environment. This is our future home for our families. Disease, famine, and drought should not be their future.