ABSTRACT
Although not often thought of as a commodity (or, for that matter, not thought about at all), water is a commodity-a very valuable, very necessary, very vital commodity. We consume water, waste it, discard it, pollute it, poison it, and relentlessly modify the hydrological cycles (natural and urban cycles), with total disregard to the consequences: “too many people, too little water, water in the wrong places and in the wrong amounts. The human population is burgeoning, but water demand is increasing twice as fast” (De Villiers, 2000). It is our position that with the passage of time, potable water will become even more valuable. Moreover, with the passage of even more time, potable water will be even more valuable than we might ever imagine-possibly (likely) comparable in pricing, gallon for gallon, to what we pay for gasoline, or even more. From urban growth to infectious disease and newly identi›ed contaminants in water, greater demands are being placed on our planet’s water supply (and other natural resources). As the global population continues to grow, people will place greater and greater demands on our water supply (U.S. Water News Online, 2000). The fact is-simply, profoundly, without a doubt in the authors’ mind-water is the new oil.
