The Interdependence of Water

In Unitarian Universalism we respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We are guided by our care for the earth, which includes its water.

Water knows no political boundaries, property lines, or city limits. What happens to water in one part of Iowa can affect people, farms, wildlife, and communities somewhere else. Water connects us. A raindrop falling on a farm, city, forest or prairie becomes part of a larger system.

Rain falls on soil, soil runs off into a nearby creek. The creek flows into a river, the river flows into the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers and reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The fertilizers used on the soil enters all of this water. We drink the water. Our water quality monitors can’t keep up and there are not enough resources to adequately keep up with cleaning the water of harmful chemicals.

What can we do? We can advocate with law and policy-making bodies to take the measures necessary to ensure the quality of our water. We can test our own water for nitrogen. If you would like a nitrogen testing kit please contact us at pcuusocialjustice@gmail.com and we will see that you get one. We can promote use of wetlands and healthy soil to slow water down, absorb nutrients and reduce flooding downstream.

One person’s water can affect someone else’s water. Water is truly interdependent.

Submitted by Marcia Swift