West Michigan municipalities find it difficult to promote water conservation when they are drawing from one of the world's largest lakes.
"It's been a real problem for us. Everybody wants to conserve," said Joe VanderStel, water facilities manager for North Ottawa Water Systems.
"But it's hard to do when you're sitting with 400 trillion gallons out your back door."
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“One hundred and fifty years ago we had a resource in the Great Lakes region that was considered inexhaustible. It lasted barely two generations. This was the White Pine forest. The White Pine of this century is Water.” -- Frank Ettawageshik, Chairman, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians