Water: does the future depend on who controls it?

Water: does the future depend on who controls it?
For those whose tastes leans toward Pellegrino, the city of Florence, Italy has installed fountains with free sparkling water. AP/Michael Dwyer
Water: does the future depend on who controls it?
For those whose tastes leans toward Pellegrino, the city of Florence, Italy has installed fountains with free sparkling water. AP/Michael Dwyer

Water: does the future depend on who controls it?

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Water flows fast and often free from the taps of many American households. The United States uses more water in four days than the world uses oil in a year. Many of us have no idea where our water comes from, let alone who controls it. 

Investigative journalist Charles Fishman says the golden age of water, at least in this country, is coming to an end. Fishman is the author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water. As part of WBEZ’s Front and Center series, Charles discusses who should control this precious resource, here in the Great Lakes region and beyond.