A Splash in the Face – Causes and Consequences of the US Water Crisis

How many times did you use water today? Did you take a shower, do laundry, or fill up your water bottle? Did you do the dishes, use the restroom, or water your plants? Water is both a necessity and a luxury that American families enjoy daily- about 300 gallons worth, to be exact.

Unfortunately for us, this way of life may not be a reality for much longer.

The water crisis is a global phenomenon that Americans have been successfully avoiding for decades. It deals with the lack of access to safe, usable water (particularly drinking water) globally.

It’s true that developing countries face the most devastating consequences of the water crisis. In Africa alone, 332 million people in live without safe drinking water. However, given America’s current water-use practices, we may soon look back and wonder what caused our downward spiral into clean water shortage.


Cause 1: Aging infrastructure 

Perhaps the most daunting threat to water security in the US is the need to replace our outdated water infrastructure. As urbanization increases, our water infrastructure has been continuously expanding, while little funding has gone towards replacing or maintaining aging water pipes.

US water distribution lines are around 1.8 million miles long. However a lot of the water infrastructure is now 100 years old or more. “We haven’t been taking care of it” says Erik Olson, director of the health and environment program at the NRDC in a recently published article.

Many original cast iron pipes from the 1880’s are still in use today, as well as lead pipes that were not banned by the EPA until the 1980’s. Failure to maintain these water systems ensures that water emergencies like the incident in Flint Michigan will continue to occur nationwide.


Cause 2: Drought

Climate change brings unpredictability to rainwater input to the water table. Rainwater makes up the majority of the surface water that sustains rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, which 66% of Americans depend on.

When droughts diminish our water sources, alternative solutions are needed to make up for the loss. The most recognized systems for combating water shortage include recycling wastewater for irrigation and using desalination plants to generate freshwater from seawater.

Neither of these systems are a cure-all, and heated debates persist about the best solutions for water conservation. As a result, different states have adopted different methods of dealing with water shortages, and we are far from reaching a consensus on the best way of dealing with drought and rainwater unpredictability.


Cause 3: Overuse

The simplest way to protect the US from water scarcity is to decrease the demand for water. People require about 13 gallons of water daily to meet their needs. This is enough water for drinking, washing, and cooking. However, reports suggest that the average American uses about 100 gallons of water daily.

In addition to overusing water in the household, water is also used inefficiently in institutions, agriculture, and energy production. These are the major sources of water-use in the US, and unless these systems become more efficient in the near-future, the entire country remains at risk for facing increasingly severe water shortages.

If we continue to disregard the signs of the emerging water crisis, we will have to face as a nation the subsequent consequences.


Consequence 1: Contamination

As we neglect to update and maintain our water infrastructure, we put ourselves in greater risk of water contamination. One of the main water supply contamination concerns is lead poisoning.

Lead poisoning occurs when a gradual buildup of lead in the body begins to affect brain function and a multitude of other body functions. Because a great number of water distribution pipes are made of lead, overtime acidic water wears down the pipes and the water that passes through becomes contaminated.

After recognition of the dangers of lead poisoning, EPA banned the use of lead pipes for water infrastructure. However, it was never required that all current lead pipes be replaced. Today there remain 6 million lead lines in American water systems which supply water to approximately 22 million Americans.

In addition to lead poisoning, plenty of waterborne diseases could contaminate our water. Cholera is one such disease that affects up to 4 million people globally and can be lethal if left untreated. Cholera is rare in the US because of our sanitation and water treatment practices. However, if we continue to neglect maintaining our water distribution systems, we could see a resurfacing of such waterborne diseases in the future.


Consequence 2: Increased water expenses

As the population grows, the increased demand on water will lead to increased cost. Additionally, the EPA estimates $384 billion are needed over the next 20 years to restore water pipes and treatment plants, adding more to the future cost of water.

Water bills are already too expensive for about 12% of American households. A recent Vox article suggests that as many as 1/3 of American households may struggle to pay their water bills by as soon as 2020.

Consequence 3: Water shortages

The most direct and alarming consequence of the water crisis is water shortage. Globally, input to the water system remains the same, while the human population continues to climb. This puts increasing demands on the water supply and means that as time goes by, people will need to continue to decrease their water consumption.

Water shortage promises to be a serious and life-threatening consequence in the US if we continue to disregard the global water crisis.



Figure shows US areas most at risk of water shortages by 2050


How to move forward?

To face these threats to our water security, we as a nation must act now. We must invest in water infrastructure to avoid water contamination emergencies. We must also take individual responsibility of household water-use. Furthermore, we must utilize advancements in technology and industry that help water conservation efforts.

By becoming active citizens, we can stay informed on political movements and innovations aimed to aid water shortages. By voting in favor of action towards water safety, we can help to save ourselves a great deal of future suffering, expense, and thirst.

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About the Author:
Jasmine Prat is a recent graduate from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Biology and Professional writing. She is experienced in both fact finding and blog writing. In this piece, she gathered information from several resources, including articles and research publications, in order to gain accurate and current information about the water crisis in the United States.