Learn Spanish (Latin America): La falta de agua es un problema.

Words ending in -ma that come from Greek are almost always masculine in Spanish. El problema, el tema, and el clima are common examples that often trip learners up, so always remember to use masculine articles like un or el with them.

I usually see falta used as a verb, like in me falta. How is it working here?

Here, falta is a feminine noun meaning "lack" or "shortage." While it's closely related to the verb faltar (to lack / to be missing), using the article la shows it's functioning as a noun in this sentence: la falta (the lack).

Why doesn't agua have an article here? Why isn't it la falta del agua?

When a noun is used in a general, uncountable sense after de, we usually drop the article. De agua means "of water" (in general). If you were talking about specific, known water (like "the lack of the water in our tank"), you would use the article and say del agua.

How does this sentence fit with the impersonal expressions we are learning in this lesson?