The Loma Prietan - November/December 2009

Did you know that less than 1% of the world's water is considered pure by global experts? That there is a World Water Council? That depletion of the world's water supplies is coming to a crisis?

If not, then you need to see Flow.

Approximately 120 people attended a free viewing of this documentary film, co-sponsored by the Chapter's San Jose Cool Cities Team, San Jose City Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Introductions by Oliverio, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and San Jose's Director of Environmental Services John Stufflebean emphasized that critical water resource issues are facing San Jose. Specifically, in 20 years or less our local water supplies will be drastically short of our needs, and San Jose is now designing and implementing water management plans with its Envision 2040 program.

This award-winning movie, directed by Irena Salina, poses a key question to the audience: Is water a commodity or is it a public resource? The last story in the film, about a Michigan community's efforts in Mecosta County to restrict Nestlé's right to use the community's underground water resources for one of its commercial bottling operations, prompted significant post-film discussion. A spontaneous audience poll to see how many people were in favor of instituting a local ban on bottled water showed that about 80% of the audience was in favor of a ban, based not primarily on concerns about the use of energy-intensive plastics, but rather on the negative impact that commercial bottling efforts can have on groundwater tables and the potential jeopardy to public water supplies.

Greywater Discussion

Other discussion focused on how we can better use greywater supplies. (For example, water used for washing clothes and dishes, no longer potable, can be used again for some household purposes such as the garden.) As it turns out, one of the near-term goals for the Envision 2040 program is for San Jose to reuse 100% of its wastewater within the next 15 years. Thanks to this planning, the city has just been approved to receive $6.5 million in stimulus funds to implement systems that will recycle water at the airport, San Jose State University, and city parks and schools.

While Flow highlights both global and local themes, one highlighted US issue was the growing prevalence of atrazine, an herbicide that triggers sex changes in frog populations, in some sources of drinking water. Millions of pounds of the herbicide are used for corn and sugarcane crops, and it is currently under reregistration review by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Incidentally, the fight in Michigan was ultimately successful when the court ruled this year that the rate of water removal for commercial distribution should indeed be restricted due to its detrimental impact on public water.

Diane DeNagel is a member of the Loma Prietan Editorial Board.