Throughout history, humanity has misjudged the ability of seemingly endless ecosystems to provide some commodity or another. This is currently happening with the Great Lakes, which hold about 20% of the World's freshwater. Communities outside of the lakes' watershed that have abused their own acquifers now covet this water. The Great Lakes basin has more and more demands placed upon its water, and if tight constraints are not enacted now, these natural ecosystems will become little more than a water fountain. If sprawling communities that have built beyond their water means are allowed to continue their wasteful ways drawing water from the Great Lakes, this marvelous resource will significantly decline, impacting upon wildlife, tourism and recreation. Urban areas must learn to live within their allotted water budgets, and not expect to pipe in water from intact aquatic ecosystems. We must learn to live within water constraints now, not after we have destroyed all bodies of standing water.