With 36 states facing water shortages today, many Americans are just getting a glimpse of the water management issues that are fast becoming a growing concern worldwide.

Rising populations, wasteful practices, urban sprawl and climate change have all combined to push our planet to the brink of a global water crisis.

As Barry Nelson, senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said, "The last century was the century of water engineering. The next century is going to have to be the century of water efficiency."

Don't wait for planners or policy.  There are so many thing you can do to conserve water today.  From low-flow toilets to collecting rainwater for use in watering your garden... heck, even if you just tried to be a little bit quicker in the shower on a daily basis it would make a big difference in your water consumption over the course of a year.

Still, it's good to know that the organizations in charge of managing the infrastructure that supports our water is on top of these issues now.  Let's hope they get the government support they deserve so they can take action sooner rather than later.

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