Water. Those of us from Wyoming know that Wyoming has had water rights issues for centuries. We are angry about sending our water to other states when we could use it ourselves. Then there are stories we hear about Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles and their water (or, rather, lack of) issues. Water is a valuable commodity because it is the basis for life. This spring the big water issue was flooding throughout many of the states. Water can be precious and also vicious. One thing we know for sure: we would not be here if not for water. This brings me to the topic of water in the desert and how the Kuwaitis handle the problem. I have been thinking about water a lot lately, and here are several observations that I want to make about this.
First, in my apartment I have two temperatures of water that comes from my faucet: hot and hotter. There is no cold. Why? Because water for our building is held in tanks on the roof. These tanks are similar to our propane tanks, but much larger. You can see them if you look at the rooftop photo in my “Apartment Life” entry. When the temperature outside is 114F, it is no wonder that our water is warm! It is perfect for showering, at least for me, because I love a good, hot shower. Some of the others have complained that it’s too hot for them. So, it’s good for showering and hand washing, but not so good for brushing teeth or drinking. The water heaters will not be turned on until the weather begins to cool down in the winter.
Second, water processing in Kuwait is desalinizing sea water. It is safe to drink in most places, but not necessarily healthy because it does not contain the minerals that we depend on. The unsafe water comes from pipes that are old and unsafe, not from the process. We have been assured by engineers that the water in our building is clean and safe. Even so, for general drinking purposes we drink bottled water. Surprisingly, we drink Aquafina which is bottled by Pepsi! Once a week, I leave money outside my apartment door, and the water man leaves me however many cases of water I order. What a great service! I use this for general drinking, but use the tap water for cooking and brushing teeth.
Third, I see many places that are trying to landscape using plants. Many of these plants are dying because they don’t get enough water. Everything has to be irrigated. It is very beautiful to see a few green things in the middle of all the sand and sand-colored architecture, in those places where they have good luck with their plantings. At the Avenues mall, there are two walls-o-water outside, which I was surprised to see. I always think that in desert areas outside water displays are a waste, but that is the hugest mall I have seen (and getting larger at the moment – but more about malls later!), and there must be some money there. I have to admit, it is gorgeous….I guess I will call it an oasis.
I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the Gulf. I understand that we can see it from our rooftop, but it has been hazy enough that the view is blocked. Perhaps I can get there during our first vacation which is going to be next week! Imagine that…a vacation before school actually begins!
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