Documentary Film Script

1. Water, the foundation of life.

2. A resource that is not only essential to human life but animals and plants,

3. without this precious resource we would perish.

4. Then why are we not doing more to keep clean water on our planet sustainable and

accessible to everyone?

5. Lowering Water Tables

6. H20’s, Clark, Isaac, Ismarie, Dominic, and Anais

7. According to a study conducted by the United Nations there is a total of 1.2 billion

people in the world that don’t have access to water

8. and in the coming years that number will be rising with about 1/3rd of the world’s

population expected to have critical water shortages by 2025.

9. Water shortages may seem odd when the entire earth is made up of 71% water

10. but data collected by the United Nations indicates that 97.5% of the water in the

planet is saltwater and 2.5% is freshwater safe to drink.

11. Additionally, out of the 2.5% of the freshwater on earth, 1.7% of the freshwater is

locked up in glaciers and snow. (United States Geological Survey, 2016)

12. Then why do we continue to take water for granted?

13. While the reality is most of us in the United States are fortunate enough to live in a

city where water is not much of an issue,

14. where the water is readily available all the time and we don’t have many limitations.
15. It is crucial to remember that it does not indicate that water problems in the world

are non-existent.

*Newscasts compilation*

16. “Water may be something you take for granted, but in the coming decade it seems

its likely to become more precious even than any fuel”.

17. “Never before in the history of the modern world has a whole city of this kind

threatened to run out of water for its citizens completely”.

18. “The state of California is resorting to drastic measures tonight to combat its severe

drought”.

19. “If the drought continues you might have to say goodbye to some of your favorite

foods”.

20. “China is drying up, in the 1950’s the were 50,000 significant rivers now less than

half remain”.

21. “The worst drought in 80 years in the state of São Paulo reservoirs have hit rock

bottom”.

22. “Coming to you from Lake Piru were at the bottom of a reservoir we should be 30

feet underwater here instead these are the conditions”.

23. Things like climate change and population growth have affected the recharge rate

and strain on the worlds water supplies.

24. Sedlak a Director of the Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering at UC

Berkeley, suggests that water reclamation, is a key answer to making water last us

long as possible
25. Water reclamation is the process in which wastewater is converted and treated to

be reused for other purposes

26. such as industrial irrigation,

27. recharge aquifers,

28. or even treated to drinking water standards

29. in the last 30 years the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation plant has been in operation

the plant has treated over 55 billion gallons of water, used to recharge the Hueco

Bolson.

30. *Insert this clip* “one of the first in the country to clean used water and successfully

recharge declining ground water”.

31. The downside of water reclamation is that it is not always the most cost-effective

method

32. *Insert this clip* “the bottom line is that the technology is there to clean that water

up to any level you want it’s just how much do you want to spend to do it and when

is it not economically feasible to pump groundwater”.

33. Another method that the city of El Paso is utilizing is switching from solely using

ground water to also using surface water

34. *insert clip* “the city of San Antonio is fully reliant on groundwater we utilize both

sources of water”.

35. The underground resource we use is called the Hueco bolson aquifer, which is

located in under the city as well as in part of Chihuahua and New Mexico

36. And most of the surface water used is obtained from the Rio Grande
37. Even though the earth’s climate patterns have continued to shift unpredictably, data

indicates that the amount of water used in the city has decreased!

38. In 1990 it was estimated that 38 billion gallons of water were used

39. And even though the population increased by 200 thousand in 2010 the city used

37.4 billion gallons of water

40. But, what changed in the last 2 decades?

41. The El Paso Water Utilities took extra efforts to educate the growing community in

water issues and promote water conservation

42. And as the University has grown it has done its fair share in water conservation on

campus by implementing different methods of resource protection

43. The University is working alongside the El Paso Water Utilities to give more hands-

on experience to students

44. so that they may graduate with the tools needed to help the world overcome this

issue

45. *Insert clip* “You can go through your college program and not get out in the field

very much and see real projects, real drilling projects, or real infrastructure”.

46. As students we need to make sure we are bringing awareness to other students and

our community about this water shortage.

47. And so that we may graduate and become pioneers in the world

48. To develop new and innovative ways to protect and manage this vital resource

49. So that we can give access to those who don’t have water

50. And so that we may continue to provide water to our successors.