Water / Energy Water & Energy Water and energy are basic needs
of civilization. Our use of each relies on and affects the
availability of the other, and, as populations grow, our demand
for both will continue to increase at accelerating rates. Water
and energy issues are inseparable, and we cannot address
groundwater protection and availability without a keen focus on
energy production and use. This water-energy “nexus” is now
being understood within the broader context of “sustainability.”
As a society we have the daunting job of seeking ways to
sustainably manage our current water supply so we are able to
meet both present and future water needs. This is not a job that
we can postpone until tomorrow. Our planet’s water and energy
resources are abundant; however, water and energy supplies are
often not available in the quantity and quality needed, at the
location and times we need them for the different ways we want
to use them…and at prices that are affordable. As a nation, we
have a challenge, not to menti