Water Scarcity in the USA

Over the past fifty years, the U.S. population has doubled in size. During this time, total water usage per person has almost tripled. Since the end of World War II, there has been a steady increase of people moving out of rural areas and into cities. As a result, the domestic self-supplied population has greatly decreased and the need for public-water supply systems has intensified. These factors, in conjunction with certain economic trends, precipitation, and global climate changes, pose difficult challenges in the years to come.

The World Health Organization defines domestic water as being “water used for all usual domestic purposes including consumption, bathing and food preparation” (World Health Organization, 2003). Ample supplies of clean domestic water are essential for drinking, cooking, hygiene, and various amenities. Most importantly, water is critical to human life as it supports the digestion of food, absorption, transportation and use of nutrients and the elimination of toxins and wastes from the body (Kleiner,1999). In the United States, the average male should consume a minimum 2.9 liters or water per day while the average female should consume 2.2 liters (New York Times, 2009). Inadequate water intake can lead to dehydration and other health issues. Studies have correlated inadequate water intake with coronary heart disease, and complications associated with childbearing. Other studies have indicated decreased risks of colonic and breast cancer with increased fluid intake (1999).

It is imperative that domestic water provided for direct consumption and ingestion through food must be sanitary. Scientific research indicates that as many as 19 million Americans may become ill each year due to parasites, viruses a...

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Kleiner, S. (1999). Water: an essential but overlooked nutrient. Journal of the American

Dietetic Association, 99 (2); 200-206.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2012). Climate. Retrieved from http://www.noaa.gov/climate.html

New Water Supply Coalition. (2012). America’s Drought. Retrieved from http://www.newwatersupply.org/issue/futurewatershortages.htm

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2003). States' View of How Federal Agencies Could Help Them Meet the Challenges of Expected Shortages. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-03-514

USGS. (2012). Domestic Water Use. Retrieved from http: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wudo.html

World Health Organization. (2003). Domestic Water Quantity, Service Level and Health.

Retrieved from http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/en/WSH0302.pdf