Our power fails 3 or 4 times a year. We had one two nights ago. By now we have a routine. My husband walks in the house, flips on the switch, yells some explicative, then starts hunting for flashlights, candles and matches. I run around reminding everyone not to run the water or flush the toilets or open the refrigerator unless absolutely necessary.

Because our well has a water retention tank, there is a small amount of water available. (Don't tell the kids - or my husband.) So, during a blackout, I wash my hands and brush my teeth with just a trickle of water. I use a minimal amount of water to scrub potatoes, carrots and apples. You get the point. When the power is out, I become very conscientious of the water we use.

There are plenty of articles on the global water crisis. In a 2003 article from the BBC's web site, the statistics are grim -- two-fifths of the world's people already face serious water shortages. According to the article, "Water is not running out: it is simply that there are steadily more of us to share it."

There are numerous comments at the bottom of that article. I pulled two that best represent how I feel and one outrageous comment about the lack of running water in homes in Kentucky. That Kentucky comment prompted me to look up statistics on US homes without indoor plumbing. A USA Today article breaks down the states with the highest number of residents without complete plumbing (Alaska wins with 6.3%) and a RCAP article states that the 2000 U.S. Census revealed that .69 percent of the population lacks access to water and/or sanitation. That's more than 670,000 households or 1.95 million people! Wow. What pigs we are here in NJ with our 5 sinks, 3 toilets and 2 outdoor water spigots!

Water is abused in America and places where it is abundant. We do not put ourselves in the shoes of countries where there is no water. The only way to appreciate the importance of water is for those who have plenty of it to go without water for a few days. The rich have no idea how the lack of fresh water affects millions of human beings. We need to focus on new irrigation techniques and on education. Maya Silliman, Rainier, WA, USA

I have read a lot about water conservation. Unfortunately none of the articles I have read mentioned how decreasing meat consumption conserves water. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. A typical American diet requires 4,000 gallons of water per day. This clearly shows that the less meat we consume, the more water we conserve. Kody Kunda, Austin, Texas

A few things you may not know about America. About 35% of homes in Kentucky have no running water. If we can't solve water problems in a Midwestern state with plenty of rainfall a huge river to the north and large underground sources, how can we hope to fix the many problems of the third world? Not everyone in the U.S. is wealthy. Thomas Stoll, Cincinnati, USA