Water Availability and Conservation

Water availability and conservation are both important topics in an arid state like New Mexico. It's no wonder that many ancient civilizations formed around bodies of water and established their cultures through them. "El agua es la vida: Water is life," and that's how it was for a long expanse of time. Times are changing, however, where we are now gifted with the abilities of modern transportation and water purification. This and other factors result in the industry of water and its merchandising to the general public. 

"Why are we paying for water?" some may ask. For the most part, the concept of "free water" is gone to some degree. In the modern world, the water we drink is mostly payed through water bills, taxes, or purchases at the supermarket. The only practical way to get absolutely free water is to take a sip from a nearby lake or river, but that is not very practical for a 21st-century resident of the Western world. In fact, it may be even beneficial for water to have a price for this very reason. If people cannot see the consequences of the over-consumption of water through a direct source such as a lake or river, they will surely experience these consequences through the vacancy of their wallets. If water were truly at no expense, then why not waste it? Why not take it for granted? Why not pretend its abundance is equivalent to that of soil or human naivety? 

In reality, water really isn't that abundant even though it's a renewable resource. Freshwater—drinkable water—is only a small percentage of the total amount of water on the Earth, the rest composed of undrinkable saltwater. In a world where you have access to water almost everywhere you go this fact can often be overlooked. Even in New Mexico this fact can often be overlooked. If regular people shared the same experiences and outlook as the people who lived around this acequia, maybe they would learn to have more respect towards water . . . or perhaps just waste it less zealously.