I’m still staggering from the profound impact of Flow, a documentary about the horrendous state of our world’s water situation.

The disturbing piece of film was featured at an event put on by Gr. 8 students of Wellesley Public School, who are concerned about learning about global issues and think you should be too.

Flow is uncomfortable viewing from start to finish, as the story of the tenuous state of our global water supply unfolds. It does leave room for optimism, displayed by citizens through grassroots initiatives or protest, despite the overwhelming odds of privatization of water systems and our inability to satisfy the thirst of the world’s poor. You can’t ever turn on the tap again without being reminded of the incredible deficiencies that exist in watering the global population.

Sadly, us North Americans on the cutting edge of modern infrastructure can’t boast about our own water supply. We may be spared the drought and access issues of other countries, but our health is put in jeopardy by such things as modern day agriculture’s reliance on herbicides and a chemical called Atrazine, which is banned in some countries, but not Canada or the US. And tragedies such as what happened in Walkerton nine years ago, may turn us off tap water. But bottled water escapes the stringent regulations placed on municipal sources and often contains more contaminants.

Water has also become a highly sought after commodity, the new oil some say, especially as it pertains to a thirsty market of non-tap water drinkers. The world’s largest beverage makers have enjoyed the profits by going that route, and while we can’t fault corporations for wanting to make profit, we most certainly should call their bluff, especially when health standards or care for the environment, through overzealous extraction, is breached. And we shouldn’t be blind to the aspirations of those in suits, who head multi-national companies backed by the Wold Bank or International Monetary Fund, that are often portrayed as the bad guys.

Blogger Rundangerously points out that Flow doesn’t name names and point fingers erroneously.

“The big difference between what I’d call propaganda… and this documentary is very simple – the facts! It’s difficult to remain unmoved by the efforts of big corporations to take over the water resources of third world countries.”

In an interview with CNN, Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, explains that water privatization is wrong. The poor can’t buy clean water.

“Private corporations have decided that this is more important than oil. They’re going to make more money and become more powerful owning and distributing water than they can from anything else.”

It goes without saying that we can’t remain oblivious to our human need of safe water. Today, one sixth of the worlds population does not have access to clean drinking water, and more than 2 million people die from water-borne diseases each year.

That’s why films such as Flow are so important. It reminds us that something so fundamental to life demands our attention.

“If our own leaders were serious about solving problems, we would not allow corporations to discharge pollutants into our water sources,” Irena Salina, Flow’s director, told CNN. “And if they were serious about solving water problems — instead of spending billions on developing technologies that clean up pollution — we would be using resources to prevent water pollution in the first place.”

Saline goes on to say that awareness is vital to plant the seeds for action to take place, along with change.

And change is only an option until it’s too late.

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