Water wars are no longer restricted to the arid West where Secretary Gale Norton is holding "Water 2025" conferences aimed at preventing more conflicts. Industry, agriculture and sprawling development now compete for dwindling water supplies from coast to coast, creating a flood of legal disputes.

• Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee are fighting over the Chattahoochee
  
  
• Virginia took Maryland to the Supreme Court over Potomac River water
  
  
• Michigan citizens fight to reverse Nestlé's right to pump 100-300 gallons/min from their water supply.

While the overall amount of water on our planet has remained the same for two billion years, our human population keeps growing along with our needs. Americans consume 92 gallons of water a day on average and we're using 80% of our fresh water for irrigating crops and generating thermoelectric-power.

Water's been called "one of the great business opportunities" and "the next oil." With America's aging water systems costing as much as $1 trillion to fix over the next 30 years, some local governments are handing over control of our water systems to multinational corporations. Infrastructure needs could increase the drinking water market to $180-200 billion by 2019, say analysts, as per capita bottled water consumption rises a gal/year.

Privatizing water carries risks. Corporate control puts water in danger of becoming the private preserve and profit generator for a few who charge access to what once belonged to all. From Michigan to Brazil, citizens have paid the price for corporate water control - and many are fighting to reclaim access.

How will we ensure that no one is denied this life essential? Should companies be allowed to extract water for profit or should water remain a publicly managed, shared resource? Are there collaborative ways to conserve and preserve our water resources? Who should decide?