How people value water and how they SHOULD value water are both investigated throughout the piece, Just Add Water. The story of Arizona water flows from how locals perceive their water to how they actually get water and these are all tied up with how ordinary people can conserve water. This lesson in water management is informative without being overbearing. Stations could use this piece in environmental shows or shows on water and land use. The beginning Q and A could have been significantly cut down to keep the pace moving, but if you can get past this the rest of the story is filled to the brim with information. The voice of the piece is lyrical and often witty. The story inexorably draws you in, each narrator lends a bit of color to the story, building from the foundation of the last. The use of sound effects are exquisite, especially during the journey of water to Tucson. Who knew that something so thoroughly unromantic as tap water could be that poetic and inspiring? Though I was sitting at home, the descriptions of the Arizona landscape made me feel as though it was me and not the sand that was baking in the Arizona sun. I felt the immediate urge to take a cold shower, but then realized that that would be a waste of water. Regardless of the guilt which you might have taking a shower afterward, this piece is a must listen.

The water drought in Arizona is a very big deal in the cities of Tucson and Phoenix. They get their water from wells and a reservoir, and through irrigation, but for the big cities, by the time the water reaches them, it’s very little. Everyone who lives there are a native because although the weather is brutal in the summer, it’s a very beautiful place to live otherwise. Arizona’s water combines with the Colorado River, which should make us grateful for having water, because with it being such a fragile resource, we should conserve as the people in Arizona do. They are grateful for the water they get and the rest of us seem to take advantage of it with how much we use each day. They don’t give any away to anyone because of limit that they have. Like the Indians who lost their river water because of heavy upstream damming, now their change of diet and culture will never be the same because the damage to their lifestyle has already been done. With how much water costs to be used, they can’t afford to get fresh water anywhere else, which should make the rest of us grateful for the resources we have. The effects in the piece were very well done. I liked the music in the beginning and the end. The song “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles was a nice touch as well. A very well done piece.Everyone can do a little thing like use just a little less water each day. We should save water, it will help the world in the future. Everyone must hear this piece. It is excellent.