We have allowed population centers in the Western states to develop completely unsustainable societies and economies where their existence depends on either 'mining' the aquifers or siphoning OPW. (Other People's Water).

We have dense tracts of people living in desert lands, wholly dependent on water compacts for their existence. We have Central Valley farmers growing cotton and Arizona farmers growing pecans and Californians drawing down water tables to grow apricots. This stuff needs to be grown in Michigan and Mississippi and places where a lot of water actually falls from the sky. Our tax codes and shipping costs and water bills need to start reflecting this reality instead of encouraging stupid growth in all the wrong places.

Anyway, yes, the water is regional, it belongs to the hydrologic regime where God put it. And the people there need to not outsource their water like their jobs were outsourced.   Because the corporations who want to outsource your water have the same aims in mind as the ones who outsourced your jobs. And that is some variation on a theme of 'screw you so I can make 10 billion this quarter because I am an unaccountable greedy pig'.