If people live far away from streams lakes and river where can they get there water?

In many areas, like central CA, water is brought into the dry inland farms through the use of irrigation canals. The water is collected from the mountain snow runoff and brought into areas through the an aquaduct system as well as using underground water sources. Some areas, like Texas, don't have irrigation canals and depend on rain to provide water, but if it doesn't rain ( like now) the crops die and dry up. Location determines what is done in cases like this.