Source: Del, J. A. (2019, July 24). The Crisis Lurking in Californians’ Taps: How 1,000 Water Systems May Be at Risk. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/us/the-crisis-lurking-in-californians-taps-how-1000-water-systems-may-be-at-risk.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Water&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=16&pgtype=collection

Summary: This article explains the major issues with shared water sources. As water becomes a more valuable resource it seems that farmers have begun to use more of it per year. As our waterways become populated with more fertilizers, the US must question the water rights that are being given to these farmers. This article shows us the major issue with allowing runoff from farms to be used for our taps. California is not able to stop this problem alone. The article refers to LA not being able to take control of our waterways and calling for federal backup. If this issue persists, the US may be in grave danger of losing much of its clean water because water rights were not distributed accordingly. 

Reaction/Connection: I was shocked when I read this. We have had issues in the past with unfiltered tap water so this was right up my alley. I chose this article because I felt that the exploitation of water rights is not only unfair, but can potentially be harmful to others. With shared waterways, farmers need to be mindful of the pesticides that can be entering our tap. Without proper precautions the US could be in danger of polluting the fresh water that we do have left. If change does not happen soon, this exponential increase of water use and pollution can lead to major issues in the future. This is where water rights are important to keep in mind and distribute accordingly.