(Nancy Corson Carter, a retired humanities professor, lives in Chapel Hill and works on environmental issues with the Presbyterian Church and the N.C. Council of Churches.)

Water is precious and finite and must be carefully stewarded; managing growth is critical. These are the chief long-term lessons I believe we must learn from the recent drought.

With the EPA announcing that at least 36 states, including the whole Southeast, are projected to have water shortages in the next five years, how are our leaders planning to protect residents of North Carolina?

My congregation, The Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, has been focusing on water stewardship throughout the past year. We've given out free low-flow showerheads and toilet watersavers from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, sold rain barrels, and celebrated an environmental Sabbath on April 20.

Upper Neuse riverkeeper Dean Naujoks spoke at that event. He told us that for the fourth time in 10 years, the Neuse is listed by American Rivers as one of the top 10 endangered rivers in the U.S. With mounting human waste (we are the sixth-fastest-growing state in the U.S.), hog waste (10 times that of humans), and unmanaged growth by builders whose poor management practices send life-destroying sediment into the rivers, we are losing healthy water.

Are our leaders listening?

In the sermon I gave at that Sabbath service, I related some personal background about living with the drought since last fall:

"The drying up of New Hope Creek near us, the fact that we are on a well and septic system for our water, as well as continuing news about the statewide emergency, brought us quickly into action. In our house, we developed a strict system of monitoring showers, toilet flushing and all water uses. We installed three rain barrels. I got riled up enough about water conservation that I e-mailed OWASA to protest their Web site's promotion of car washes that use well water instead of city water. I told them of my concern that the aquifers wells draw upon here and across the state are being sorely taxed -- once depleted, they may take up to 10 years to refill. They wrote back that, after thinking about it, they agreed I was right and would unlist these sites."

This latest drought is a wake-up call. Even though we've had some rain where we live this spring, our garden soil dries very quickly. Some of our trees were so stressed that we're not sure they will make it. I'd guess that our aquifers need a lot of replenishment.

If we are to have adequate, clean water for human and other life, our leaders must insist that development pay its way, that there be adequate enforcement of inspections to uphold best management practices. We need incentives for good corporate behavior. All future building needs to be sustainable (use "living machines," cisterns, swales, all manner of water savers). We need incentives for all of us, especially our utilities, to save energy -- saving energy saves water -- an axiom we forget at our expense.

A lot of folks I know continue using water with utmost care. I expect our leaders to support us by making such care the mandated behavior of all who live and work in our communities. Anything less invites disaster.