And while water may not be getting the C-suite attention it deserves, many more companies are beginning to look at water-related supply chain risks (71%, up from 62% in 2011).

FORBES: How Scarce Does Water Need to Get Before It's Valuable?

The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve have also sent six C-130 aircraft specially set up to drop water and fire suppressant on the fires.

CNN: Chertoff: Lessons from Katrina being applied to fire response

C. was among localities with contaminated water -- hexavalent chromium.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

The entries are as varied as the names we bestow: toilet, toilette, klo (in Germany), water closet, WC (and the Gallic counterparts double-v c or, in this impatient age, just VC).

WSJ: Jeffery Deaver on Bathrooms Around the World | Traveler's Tale