globeandmail.com: Abundance of freshwater 'a myth'

globeandmail.com: Abundance of freshwater 'a myth': "Abundance of freshwater 'a myth' Threats to drinking supplies are real and many, new group says in report to be released today BILL CURRY From Friday's Globe and Mail October 26, 2007 at 4:26 AM EDT OTTAWA — The 'myth' of freshwater abundance in this country should be abandoned by Canadians and their governments, warns a report from an expert panel recommending radical action to protect the nation's drinking water. The newly formed Gordon Water Group, which describes itself as an organization of scientists, lawyers, policy experts and former senior government policy advisers led by the Sierra Club of Canada, is releasing the 55-page call to action Friday. The threats to Canada's drinking water are many, it says. Climate change, the Alberta oil-sands projects, hydroelectric dams, using too much water and flushing untreated waste into lakes and rivers are all cited as concerns. 'The failure to address these problems shows the need for radical improvements in the governance of our freshwater legacy,' the report states. 'Despite the persistent Canadian myth that our freshwater resources are abundant, we must now face the very real potential that regions throughout Canada, especially in the Western provinces, may experience severe water scarcity. Today"