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Canada is blessed with extraordinary natural resources, including some of the world’s largest supplies of fresh water.

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Yet because water feels abundant, we often behave as if it will always be there. We treat it like an endless resource, and that mindset has shaped a long pattern in this country: We tend not to act on water issues until they reach a breaking point.

That breaking point is now coming into view.

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Across Canada, many communities are under real strain. Growing populations, and aging pipes and treatment plants, are pushing water systems to the limit. From outdated water mains to undersized facilities and inadequate storage, communities are confronting the same reality: We must reinvest in the systems that keep clean water flowing.

Meeting this challenge starts with a simple truth: In the water business, it’s what you don’t see that matters most. The infrastructure that delivers safe, reliable water is buried underground — out of sight and out of mind until something breaks. And when it breaks, the costs are far higher than if we had invested steadily all along.

Water........

© Edmonton Journal