IN the proper permaculture context, we must take control of our own needs OURSELVES!
Read the book "Water For Every Farm" by P.A. Yeomans.
Every person should be responsible for their own actions. If everyone had their own pond we would not need HUGE dams that flood the WHOLE valley below.
You can even generate your own power off of low flows these days.
Also the HUmiddity has been overlooked by modern man. Fog brooms, dew ponds, and the stone towers of Malta ALWAYS generate water without the need for power!
Rainwater even has certain nutrients that are beneficial.