I doubt the change was intended to be overcome with skill or luck. I would guess the change was intended to make you have to think about water. In the old system, you didn't have to think about it at all.... you passively solved your early game water issues with barely a thought. Now, its still not terribly difficult to solve your water issues, but you do have to think about it for a bit in the early game. If that was the intent of the change, then I'd say it was successful.
I still have issues with the change from a realism perspective, which I've brought up in other threads, but overall, I'd say the change has improved the early game experience. In a survival game, you should have to think about food & water.