World Water Crisis (LIFE)

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10 Cities Running Out Of Water

10. Orlando, Fl
9. Atlanta, GA
8. Tucson, AZ
7. Las Vegas, NV
6. Fort Worth, TX
5. San Francisco Bay Area, CA
4. San Antonio, Texas
3. Phoenix, AZ
2. Houston, TX
1. Los Angeles, CA

U.S. Cities Running Out of Water (WSJ) – the water problem is worse than most people realize, particularly in several large cities which are occasionally low on water now and almost certainly face shortfalls in a few years.


http://www.ruralwater.org/toptenwsj.pdf

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The Ten Biggest American Cities That Are Running Out Of Water
Posted: October 29, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Some parts of the United States have begun to run low on water. That is probably not much of a
surprise to people who live in the arid parts of America that have had water shortages for decades
or even centuries. No one who has been to the Badlands in South Dakota would expect to be able
to grow crops there.
The water problem is worse than most people realize, particularly in several large cities which are
occasionally low on water now and almost certainly face shortfalls in a few years. This is
particularly true if the change in global weather patterns substantially alters rainfall amounts in
some areas of the US.
24/7 Wall St. looked at an October, 2010 report on water risk by environmental research and
sustainability group, Ceres. We also considered a comprehensive July, 2010 report from the
National Resources Defense Council which mapped areas at high risk of water shortage conflict.
24/7 Wall St also did its own analysis of water supply and consumption in America’s largest
cities, and focused on the thirty largest metropolitan areas. One goal was to identify potential
conflicts in regions which might have disputed rights over large supplies of water and the battles
that could arise from these disputes. And, 24/7 Wall St. examined geographic areas which have
already been plagued by drought and water shortages off and on.
The analysis allowed us to choose ten cities which are likely to face severe shortages in the
relatively near-term future. Some of these are likely to be obvious to the reader. The area around
Los Angeles was once too dry to sustain the population of a huge city. But, infrastructure was
built that allowed water to be pumped in from east of the region. Las Vegas had similar problems.
It was part of a great desert until Lake Meade was created by the Hoover dam built on the
Colorado River.
Severe droughts that could affect large cities are first a human problem. The competition for
water could make life in some of America’s largest cities nearly unbearable for residents. A
number of industries rely on regular access to water. Some people would be out of work if these
industries had poor prospects for continued operation. The other important trouble that very low
water supplies creates is that cities have sold bonds based on their needs for infrastructure to
move, clean, and supply water. Credit ratings agencies may not have taken drought issues into
account at the level that they should. Extreme disruptions of the water supply of any city would
have severe financial consequences.
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report takes the following into account when
assessing the likelihood of water shortages: “The risk to water sustainability is based on the
following criteria: (1) projected water demand as a share of available precipitation; (2)
groundwater use as a share of projected available precipitation; (3) susceptibility to drought; (4)
projected increase in freshwater withdrawals; and (5) projected increase in summer water deficit.”
The ten cities on this list are the ones with the most acute exposure to problems which could
cause large imbalances of water supply and demand. There are a number of metropolitan areas
which could face similar problems but their risks are not quite as high. The water problem for US
cities is, although it may not be evident, one of the largest issues that faces urban areas over the
next ten years.
These are the ten largest cities by population that have the greatest chance of running out of
water.
10. Orlando, FL
Major Water Supply: Floridan Aquifer
Population (U.S. rank): 235,860 (80th)
Population Growth Rate: 26.8% since 2000
Average annual rainfall: 48.35 in.
North-central Florida, especially Orange County where Orlando is located, has experienced
frequent droughts in the last decade. As a consequence, the area has implemented extreme
conservation measures, including aggressive water-rationing policies and lawn-watering
bans. After the drought and resulting wildfires subsided, however, Orlando faced another
problem. As of 2013, Orlando will no longer be able to increase the rate at which it uses water
from the Floridan aquifer, the city’s main source of fresh water supply. This presents a major
problem for city officials: how does the limited water supply continue to meet demand for one of
the fastest-growing regions in the state? It is estimated that water usage in the Orlando area will
increase from 526 million gallons per day from 1995 to 866 million in 2020. On the city website,
the mayor is quoted, saying: “Orlando Utilities Commission water usage trends show Orlando
water demand exceeding the supply by approximately 2014 if no action is taken.” There are plans
in the works to tap the St. John’s River for irrigation, and eventually drinking water. Many,
however, are skeptical that even this will be enough to meet Orlando’s growing demand.
9. Atlanta, GA
Major Water Supply: Lake Lanier, GA
Population (U.S. rank): 540,922 (33rd)
Population Growth Rate: 29.9% since 2009
Average annual rainfall: 50.2 in.
Between 2007 and 2008, the southeast experienced a major drought, which depleted the region’s
major water supplies. No city in the south suffered more than Atlanta, the second-fastest-growing
metropolitan area in the last eight years. The crisis began when the Army Corps of Engineers
released more than 20 billion gallons of water from Lake Lanier, the city’s primary source of
water. Continued poor rainfall brought the lake to its lowest recorded levels. At one point, city
officials reported there was only three months left of stored fresh water to supply Atlanta. The
drought eventually subsided and consistent rain returned the lake to less dangerous levels.
However, Atlanta may continue to be at risk, as the lake is the site of an ongoing legal conflict
between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, all of which rely on the reservoir for fresh water. Last
year, a federal judge declared Atlanta’s withdrawals from the lake illegal, and if the ruling stands,
the city will lose roughly 40% of its water supply by 2012.
8. Tucson, AZ
Major Water Supply: local ground water
Population (U.S. rank): 543,000 (32nd)
Population Growth Rate: 20% since 2000
Average Annual Rainfall: 12.17 in.
The NRDC study rates Pima County, Arizona, where Tucson is located, as an area with extreme
risk of water shortage. The city is in the Sonoran desert, an extremely arid region which receives
less than 12 inches of rainfall each year. Currently, the Tucson region uses about 350,000 acrefeet
of water per year. At this rate, Tucson’s groundwater supply, which now provides the
majority of the city’s water, has a very limited life span. In addition to this, the city is currently
bringing in 314,000 acre-feet per year from the Colorado River under the Central Arizona Project.
However, Tucson is growing rapidly, adding more than 20,000 people since 2000. This,
combined with the political uncertainty of the Central Arizona Project allocation, places Tucson
at extreme risk for future water shortages.
7. Las Vegas, NV
Major Water Supply: Lake Mead/Colorado River
Population (U.S. rank): 567,000 (28th)
Population Growth Rate: 18.6% since 2000
Average Annual Rainfall: 4.5 in.
In the middle of the Mojave Desert, with an annual precipitation rate of only 10 cm, Las Vegas
must rely on distant sources for its fresh water. The city’s main source is Lake Mead, which
supplies 85% of the water used in the Las Vegas Valley. Unfortunately, the lake is 59% empty
and is approaching its first water shortage ever. In addition to Las Vegas, it would affect other
areas of Nevada and Arizona. Moreover, it could potentially stop the Hoover dam from
producing electricity – as soon as 2013. This would affect many big California cities that receive
hydro-electric power through the dam.
6. Fort Worth, TX
Major Water Supply: multiple
Population (U.S. rank): 727,577 (17th)
Population Growth Rate: 36.1% since 2000
Average annual rainfall: 34.01 inches
As Fort Worth continues to grow (its population is expected to hit 4.3 million by 2060), the
amount of water demand has continued to exceed the amount of water available through local
supply. As a result, the city, which is in Tarrant County, must rely on storage water, making the
system much more exposed to the worst effects of prolonged drought. To remedy this problem,
the Tarrant Regional Water District is trying to bring in more water from Oklahoma’s Red River.
Oklahoma, wishing to preserve its water sources, limits interstate water sales. Fort Worth has
countered with a lawsuit, which is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals.
5. San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Major Water Supply: various, including Lake Hetch Hetchy
Population (U.S. rank): San Francisco: 815,359 (12th), Oakland: 409,189 (44th), San Jose:
964,695 (10th)
Population Growth Rate: 20% since 2000
Average annual rainfall: 20.4 in.
Much like the southeast in the early 2000’s, California has experienced intermittent droughts that
have brought the area’s water supply to the brink of disaster. After several years of drought
between 2005 and 2007, the Bay Area, which represents more that 3.7 million people, was forced
to adopt aggressive water usage restrictions. Legal battles ensued between San Francisco area
legislators and those in the Sacramento delta who believed they deserved bay area water from
major sources, like Lake Hetch Hetchy. According to the NRDC and CERES studies, the San
Francisco Bay area, including adjacent cities San Jose and Oakland, are “very likely” to
experience a severe crisis as a result of water shortage within the next 50 years.
4. San Antonio, Texas
Major Water Supply: various ground water sources
Population (U.S. rank): 1,373,668 (7th)
Population Growth Rate: 20% since 2000
Average annual rainfall: 30.24 in.
Bexar County, Texas, where San Antonio is located, possesses the highest rating given by the
Natural Resources Defense Council with regards to water sustainability. This means that the area
is at extremely high risk for water demand exceeding supply by 2050 if no major systematic
changes are made. As most surface water from lakes and rivers in Texas have already been
claimed by varying districts across Texas, most counties are now looking at groundwater to meet
future demand. San Antonio has attempted to secure water from a number of Texas groundwater
conservation districts. Due to legal obstacles, this has proven to be difficult. Today, many
experts, including members of the Texas Water Development Board, recommend undertaking a
major project to ensure future sustainability, such as a desalination plant on the Gulf Coast.
3. Phoenix, AZ
Major Water Supply: Colorado River Basin
Population (U.S. rank): 1,593,659 (5th)
Population Growth Rate: 21.2% since 2000
Average annual rainfall: 8.3 in.
Like many of the other western cities on this list, Phoenix is extremely dependent on water
imported from the Colorado River. This is because nearly half of the water the city’s residents use
comes from this significant source. As the Colorado River Basin enters the eleventh year of its
drought, the city’s reliance on the river may soon become a serious problem. If the drought
continues, water deliveries to Arizona could potentially be cut back. To keep up a sufficient water
supply, Phoenix is adopting an aggressive campaign to recycle water, replenish groundwater, and
try to dissuade over-consumption. Time will tell if it these measures will be enough.
2. Houston, TX
Major Water Supply: Jasper Aquifer, Lake Houston, Lake Conroe
Population (U.S. rank): 2,257,926 (4th)
Population Growth Rate: 15.6%
Average annual rainfall: 53.34 inches
Throughout most of its history, the city of Houston primarily drew water from the Jasper Aquifer,
located along the southeastern coast of Texas. Over the last 30 years, the city began to suffer from
dramatic rises in sea level of nearly an inch a year. Geologists eventually realized that the cause
was Houston’s withdrawal of fresh water from the aquifer located under the city. This discovery
forced city officials to use nearby Lake Houston and Lake Conroe for municipal water instead of
the aquifer. Since 2000, Houston has been the fifth-fastest-growing city in the country, and its
presence in an area with high drought likelihood makes it an immediate risk for serious water
shortages.
1. Los Angeles, CA
Major Water Supply: Colorado River Basin
Population (U.S. rank): 3,831,868 (2nd)
Population Growth Rate: 3.7%
Average annual rainfall: 14.77 in.
In the 1980’s, Los Angeles suffered a major crisis when the city was forced to stop using 40% of
its drinking water due to industrial runoff contamination. Like Las Vegas, the city now relies on
importing water from the Colorado River via hundreds of miles of aqueducts. The Colorado may
only be a temporary solution, however, as the fastest growing city in the country continues to
increase its demand at an unsustainable rate. In its utility risk rating, CERES gave the Los
Angeles Department of Water & Power the highest likelihood of risk among the cities it assessed.
That list included Atlanta and the Ft. Worth Area. On top of this, The Hoover Dam, which is the
main source of electricity for LA and much of the greater southwest, is also producing at a lower
rate than it has historically. Some scientists suspect this drop-off will continue to a point where
its electricity production is too small to sustain the dam economically. Los Angeles, even if the
dam doesn’t cease production in 2013, as some predict, it still faces serious water shortages.
You can download the CERES report by visiting this
page: http://www.ceres.org/Page.aspx?pid=592. Here is a direct link to download the
PDF: http://www.ceres.org/Document.Doc?id=625.
Charles B. Stockdale, Michael B. Sauter, Douglas A. McIntyre
Read more: The Ten Biggest American Cities That Are Running Out Of Water - 24/7 Wall St.
http://247wallst.com/2010/10/29/the-ten-great-american-cities-that-are-dying-ofthirst/
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