Thoughts on the value of water and water rights

How does one begin to value water? Water is valued today more than ever and yet it is still vastly undervalued because it is required to sustain life.1 Water is critical to the production of energy, and since energy drives economies and industrial production, water is the most powerful commodity in the world. People take clean water and the availability of water for granted. Numerous factors and important considerations determine the value of water, and the rights and responsibilities we have to provide safe, cost-effective, and reliable access to it. This paper will present issues that water professionals are grappling with that affect the water renewal industry and how the industry must lead the discussion to educate the public, and support technology and innovation to ensure that clean and safe water is a resource accessible to all, sustainable, and properly valued.