The stuff of life

"Frequently, it is the simple things, the ones we take for granted, that can create the most harm when disrupted."

"It's the water" was the old slogan used by the Olympia Brewing Company.  Maybe this should have been used during the campaign for PUD Commissioner.  Not the beer, but the importance of water and the critical roll our PUD plays in assuring its availability.

When we arose this morning, we took ours shower, brushed our teeth, had breakfast, made our coffee or visited our local barista for our caffeine fix.  So much of our daily routine is dependent upon abundant, safe, clean water.  Over the last couple of days, nearly 500,000 residents of Ohio have become acutely aware of this as they are in their second day with an unsafe water supply.

The human body is around 60% water.  When we loose as little as 1%, it can start affecting our physical and mental function, even before we feel thirsty, usually at 2-3% loss.  We can go for up to 3 weeks without food but most research indicates that going without water for 3 says can result in death.  Under strenuous circumstances, the human body can loose as much as 1 1/2 liters of water per hour.

Imagine the financial impact on our tourism industry here should we have to close our hotels and restaurants due to a water issue. The lingering bad publicity created by a water quality incident could continue to hurt this industry long after the problem has been resolved.  Without water, there would be no paper mill, resulting in the loss of  those living wage jobs for our residents.

And then there is the continuing drought in southern California.  The damage this is causing in food production and the wine and beer industry, could be devastating.  If this continues, the price of food and spirits could skyrocket.  The recovery from the damage this is causing will require years, that is, if the supply of water returns, something that some experts fear may not happen.

 What about our electricity?  We get most of our electricity from BPA (Bonneville Power Administration) with most of its generating capacity dependent upon the power of water from our rivers through its hydroelectric dams.

In the debate, in news articles, and in ads, the PUD Commission campaign has focused on issues relating to our electrical distribution system and even high speed fiber optic internet access, something over which the local ISP providers have more control that does the PUD, but little has been said about water.  No need to discuss this, water will just keep falling from the sky, right?  Well, if you have checked the weather report lately, you will find that it is not!

Water is one of the most critical resources needed for life as we know it, so let's get this into our discussions.  Our future depends on water, for domestic use as well as for our growing (pardon the pun)  local agricultural industry and our water supply depends on the actions of our PUD Board of Commissioners.

Even Captain Smith on the Titanic took water for granted, that is, until the ship struck that great frozen chunk of it.  And we know how that worked for him.

Thank you for viewing my blogs, for your support, and for your vote!!
Anthony F. (Tony) De Leo