Costa Rica’s natural beauty.

Besides air, water is the resource most critical to sustaining life on Earth. Human beings depend on water not only for drinking, but for generating energy, growing crops, carrying waste, for washing and cleaning, and to run machinery. Clean water is also essential for many species of plants and animals living in streams, rivers, and lakes.

In today’s world there are more than one billion people who suffer from shortages of drinking water. Already, wars are being fought over water. Although this rainy season has been drier than normal, we are lucky to not suffer from a drought like the one that is affecting Texas, California and parts of the southern United States.

Costa Rica doesn’t have a shortage of water. Fortunately we have more rainy months than dry months. October is especially bad since it coincides with the hurricane season in the Caribbean. We don’t get the winds but do get a lot of rain. Last October it seemed to rain for “forty days and forty nights.” By the time the rainy season is over in November we welcome in the dry season or summer which usually lasts until mid-April.

Even though we do have plenty water here the government is educating individuals and businesses about water conservation. Water is just too precious to waste or take for granted. The government has also instituted reforestation projects. This effort has helped local people preserve their remaining forests, protect their water supplies.

On my monthly relocation/retirement tours I am often asked if Costa Rica’s water is potable. Unlike Mexico and many other places in the world, you can drink tap water here.