In the United States, the main issue is overuse. If every country were like the United States, there would be almost no freshwater left for use. Americans take for granted the ease and access to water they have. It is as easy as turning on the water facet or going to the water fountain. In addition to personal use, along comes the use of water for agricultural purposes. This is highly debated over because some think that the way fields are watered could be altered to use water more efficiently. Farmers are a big source of the water that the United States as a whole consumes. This issue can be seen on a global scale as well. Around the globe, agriculture accounts for 70% of global water use on average and more than 90% in arid regions (Lall). There are more troubles to be found in the big cities of the United States, where millions of gallons of water are consumed each day. It is clear that changes could be, and should be, made to help the already limited supply of water last a little bit longer here in United States.
Where to focus
According to the International Water Management Institute, in 2025, regions of the world will start to suffer from either economical or physical water scarcity. Economic water scarcity means that there are no surplus water resources and thus economic considerations must also be taken into account (Mauser). Some countries are already experiencing this water scarcity but a lot more are expected to within the next twelve years. The United States, although not facing economic water scarcity, should still be cognizant that within the next few decades, if nothing is done about water consumption, that there will be major problems for this country.
The big cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, consume massive amounts of water daily due to their massive populations concentrated in one area. New York City, for instance, consumed 1007.2 million gallons of water per day in 2009 (NYC Government). This is 125.8 gallons per person per day. To put this amount in comparison, most people living in Africa only use around 5.28 gallons per day (Water for Africa). Therefore, the average American living in NYC is using 25 times more water than the average person living in Africa. In no economy is this comparison acceptable.
An area that the United States is doing moderately well in is safe drinking water. It is no surprise that “nearly 3 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, and need cost effective and reliable sources” (Lall). In our country, we do not have these concerns. We have no problems with going to a water fountain anywhere and drinking out of it. This is the work of the government saying that we have clean water here in America. Specifically, the EPA covers these types of issues. Not all countries are as fortunate. Haiti for instance has disease running widespread through their water supply. Their water is contaminated with human waste due to the lack of a sewage sanitation system. Diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and other waterborne diseases are carried in the water. Additionally, the leading cause of infant mortality and illness in the children is contaminated water ("Clean Water"). Even though drinking water is safe in the United States, there is growing concern about unregulated pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors. The United States' laws on water quality, especially the Safe Drinking Water Act, do not address these types of contaminates (Friedland, et al). Other countries are already doing work through water utilities to effectively remove these pollutants with new and existing technology.
Another country worth mentioning that does not have access to clean drinking water is the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is estimated that 51 million people, nearly three quarters of the population, have no access to safe drinking water, even though the country hold over half of Africa’s water reserves. A study done by the UN states that in addition to major infrastructure improvement, an investment of approximately $70 million over a five year period is required to strengthen the water sector (UN News Centre).This should be humbling to those in the United States who are not plagued with this kind of life. Instead, we continue to overuse the clean water we are fortunate to have.
As stated above, agricultural water consumption is also a big player in the overuse of water in the United States (Lall). It is especially concerning in the arid regions of the country because the groundwater will eventually be limited, thus leading to a lack in crop production and eventually a shortage of food. This can be fixed however, in the way farmers water their crops and fertilize them. The fertilizer can affect the groundwater and pollute it, which is a growing problem around the globe. Water is also lost during post agricultural production, which includes food processing, storage, and delivery. Finding solutions to this as well as water crops can make the agricultural section much more efficient in water usage and decrease the over consumption it currently has.
The big cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, consume massive amounts of water daily due to their massive populations concentrated in one area. New York City, for instance, consumed 1007.2 million gallons of water per day in 2009 (NYC Government). This is 125.8 gallons per person per day. To put this amount in comparison, most people living in Africa only use around 5.28 gallons per day (Water for Africa). Therefore, the average American living in NYC is using 25 times more water than the average person living in Africa. In no economy is this comparison acceptable.
An area that the United States is doing moderately well in is safe drinking water. It is no surprise that “nearly 3 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, and need cost effective and reliable sources” (Lall). In our country, we do not have these concerns. We have no problems with going to a water fountain anywhere and drinking out of it. This is the work of the government saying that we have clean water here in America. Specifically, the EPA covers these types of issues. Not all countries are as fortunate. Haiti for instance has disease running widespread through their water supply. Their water is contaminated with human waste due to the lack of a sewage sanitation system. Diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and other waterborne diseases are carried in the water. Additionally, the leading cause of infant mortality and illness in the children is contaminated water ("Clean Water"). Even though drinking water is safe in the United States, there is growing concern about unregulated pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors. The United States' laws on water quality, especially the Safe Drinking Water Act, do not address these types of contaminates (Friedland, et al). Other countries are already doing work through water utilities to effectively remove these pollutants with new and existing technology.
Another country worth mentioning that does not have access to clean drinking water is the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is estimated that 51 million people, nearly three quarters of the population, have no access to safe drinking water, even though the country hold over half of Africa’s water reserves. A study done by the UN states that in addition to major infrastructure improvement, an investment of approximately $70 million over a five year period is required to strengthen the water sector (UN News Centre).This should be humbling to those in the United States who are not plagued with this kind of life. Instead, we continue to overuse the clean water we are fortunate to have.
As stated above, agricultural water consumption is also a big player in the overuse of water in the United States (Lall). It is especially concerning in the arid regions of the country because the groundwater will eventually be limited, thus leading to a lack in crop production and eventually a shortage of food. This can be fixed however, in the way farmers water their crops and fertilize them. The fertilizer can affect the groundwater and pollute it, which is a growing problem around the globe. Water is also lost during post agricultural production, which includes food processing, storage, and delivery. Finding solutions to this as well as water crops can make the agricultural section much more efficient in water usage and decrease the over consumption it currently has.