"Liquid Assets" enlightens students on use of water

The film "Liquid Assets" was shown last Monday in the Student Union Building at Weber State University. The event was presented by the Salt Lake City Film Center (SLCFC). "We chose to show this film here in Ogden as well as Provo because Utah is a very dry state," said Topher Horman, the director of Operations of the SLCFC. According to the film, Utah is the second-driest state in the nation. Most of Utah is classified as a desert, receiving less than 13 inches of rain a year. While the mountains get just as much, if not more, water than the eastern states, it is all used and dried up by the first of July. Fortunately, there are 24 reservoirs in the state made to hold and contain the water, which will allow Utahans to continue everyday life with their water usage. With the United States' water consumption increasing, it has been made a necessity to develop additional water sources to meet the demand. Additionally, with the U.S. population increasing at the rate it is, water demand will continue to grow. In Ogden, a total of 220 gallons of water is used per household per day, split between residential, commercial and industrial use. This is compared to the three million people in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, using 100 gallons a day for personal use. "I have never thought that anyone can use over 100 gallons of water a day, but I was proved wrong," said Chris Jacobs, a WSU junior. "It is a national and local problem," said Mark Anderson of Weber Basin Conservation. "While we aren't using as much water as other states, we are still using way too much for as little as we have." With the price of gas being down below $2 a gallon for the first time in a couple of years, the price of water is at $2.50 for 1,000 gallons. "The answer to the entire water crisis is financing, whether it come from federal grants or from the general public," Paul Hodson, the General Manager of Bona Vista Water Improvement District said."It is necessary to get money to fix broken infrastructure and pay for the water." There are three different types of water: drinking, waste, and storm. Each system is built to keep all three types of water separate. However, because of poorly built and very old pipes, water is leaking and mixing, polluting the drinking water and causing cryptosporidium. "Cryptosporidium is a pretty nasty disease," said WSU senior John Vander Velpen. "It messes with the immune system, and can lead to flu-like symptoms." Cryptosporidium is a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites. While it can be transmitted in several different ways, water is the most common method of transmission, and is the most frequent case of waterborne illness in the United States. Because of this, in 1972 the Clean Water Act was adopted and in 1974 the Safe Water-Drinking Act was also implemented. "It is necessary that we use less water," Anderson said. "While water is essential and a part of everyday life we need to cut back to save some for the future, because it will be hard to come by." Some actions that have taken place include: every-other-day watering, water-friendly plants, water-friendly sprinkler systems, and censored sinks in public bathrooms.