10. Showers

Bathing is definitely something worth being thankful for. Just ask anyone in your general vicinity. It’s also good for your health. And after a long day, a nice warm shower just feels good. Photo: EPA WaterSense

9. A Favorite Waterway

Whether it means a trip to the beach or a place to boat or fish, local waterways are often the economic and recreational backbones of our communities. There are so many great ones, but Santa Monica Bay remains my personal favorite. Photo: © Mariusz Jurgielwicz/Dreamstime.com

8. Aquatic Life

The diversity and complexity of aquatic life are simply amazing. Fish and other types of aquatic life also provide much of the world’s food. Photo: Dora Valdez

7. Wetlands

Wetlands provide critical habitat, ecological diversity and water filtration, and they serve as spawning and rearing areas for all kinds of life. Wetlands also store water, protect communities from flooding and provide a natural buffer from storm surges. Photo: Earl Cunningham/USFWS

6. Toilets

Just imagine life without a toilet. Most American households have one, two or even three. The White House has 35. Yet over 2 billion people on the planet don’t have regular access to toilets or adequate sanitation. Photo: EPA WaterSense

5. Wastewater Treatment

When you flush the toilet, it all has to go somewhere. In most U.S. cities, it goes to sewage treatment plants. Thankfully, modern wastewater treatment reduces disease and protects our waterways from all that human waste – and lots of industrial waste too. The most advanced treatment plants, like this one, recycle all that water. Photo: West Basin Municipal Water District

4. The Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act is the primary law in the U.S. that protects our waterways from pollution. The Clean Water Act makes sure that when we dispose of wastewater, it is treated before it is discharged back to a river or other waterway – often the source of our drinking water or a place for swimming, boating or fishing. Yet the law is under attack in Congress and needs protection of its own. Photo: USDA/NRCS

3. The Oceans

The world’s oceans cover more than 2/3 of the planet, sustain a dizzying array of aquatic life, help moderate the climate and provide food for billions of people. Photo: Heather George

2. Water for Food

Agriculture consumes more water than any other use in America. More water efficient practices are needed in many places, but it is an inescapable fact that your Thanksgiving meal – and every meal, for that matter – wouldn’t be possible without water. Photo: Olga Lyubkin/Dreamtime.com

1. Drinking Water

We literally can’t live for more than a few days without water. But one billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. This often results in illness and death. Photo: EPA