Did you know that women's bodies contain about 50-60 percent of water, while men's contain 60-65 percent? Our bodies are mostly made up of water, just like the Earth.

In San Antonio and surrounding areas, the Edwards Underground Aquifer is our main source of water. An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rocks, such as sandstone, conglomerate, fractured limestone and unconsolidated sand and gravel that water can easily penetrate.

The area that the Edwards Underground Aquifer covers is a 160-mile arch-shaped curve from Brackettville in the west to Kyle in the northeast.

The aquifer is one of the major groundwater systems in Texas, and it serves approximately 1.7 million people. Drinking water, toilet flushing, bathing, cooking, cleaning and lawn watering are just some of the many ways that we use the aquifer's water. The aquifer supports south central Texas households, agricultural, industrial and recreational needs.

"We won't run out, but if we continue to grow, we are going to need another supply of water," said Dr. Glen Tanck, a Geology professor at Palo Alto.

The Edwards Underground Aquifer is a very valuable resource that is irreplaceable. Human development, like subdivisions, shopping centers, parking lots, office buildings, highways and golf courses, now threatens the Edwards Underground Aquifer. Population growth, expanding water demands and suburb expansion threatens this main water source.

"The best thing citizens can do is contact their city representatives," said Elyzabeth Earnley, from AGUA (Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas).

Aside from letting our leaders know we want our aquifer protected, you may install low flush toilets, fix leaks immediately, catch rainfall to water your plants and reduce your water wasting habits.

"It is nice to have a green yard, but green is just a color. The grass is usually not dead, it is dormant," said Brad Chandler, an Environmental Biology professor at Palo Alto. Drought-resistant native plants and grasses do not require as much water to stay alive as non-native plants and grasses.

The next time you reach for a bottle of water, don't. Drink from the tap instead.

According to www.lighterfootstep.com, bottled water costs about 5 cents an ounce or $6.20 a gallon. Most municipal water costs less than a penny a gallon, and most bottled water is just filtered municipal water.

On top of the high price, bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of waste each year, because 80 percent of water bottles are thrown away instead of recycled. For more information on water saving tips, log on to www.saws.org