How Serious is the Freshwater Crisis in the U.S.?
- Isha Kapoor
- Nov 27, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2023
The freshwater crisis in the U.S. is real. It is, in fact, one of the most serious issues facing the country. In this post, we review the reasons for this situation and what we can do to lessen further damage.
Why are we in the midst of a water crisis when the Earth has abundant water bodies? We need freshwater to live, which makes up only 2.5% of the Earth’s water. Most of the freshwater is underground, and the U.S. relies on its groundwater supply for drinking water and for its strong agriculture industry. The surface water sources of rivers and reservoirs are a less important source of freshwater. America is one of the largest exporters of corn, soybean, and cotton, and the shrinking freshwater supply could very well threaten America’s status as a superpower. An increasing demand for water due to the growing population and climate change are largely to blame for the crisis.
The increasing demand and the rising temperatures due to climate change are causing the aquifers (rock or gravel that hold groundwater) around the country to shrink. Climate change is affecting not only the availability of water, but also the quality of water. Rising temperatures lead to shrinking glaciers, droughts, and falling surface water levels. This causes people to rely even more on groundwater. On the other side of things, the high evaporation rates resulting from the hotter climate lead to heavy rains, storms, and flooding which increase water pollution due to pesticides, disease-causing bacteria and viruses, and sediments. So, if you think about it, climate change is depleting the clean usable fresh water supply and increasing the burden of polluted unusable water. And we just do not have the infrastructure and resources to convert the polluted water back to a usable form.
The New York Times recently conducted an independent investigation into the matter and made some shocking discoveries. Nearly half the wells examined had a very significant drop in water levels compared to 1980. Also, 40% of the wells had reached their lowest water levels in the past 10 years. Experts are warning that some parts of the U.S. might soon run out of drinking water in the near future!
How did we let the situation reach such a serious level? The state rules and regulations in the matter have been rather weak, and there has been insufficient oversight from the federal government. This has led to the overuse and abuse of groundwater resources. As we have pumped more groundwater, the empty spaces left behind have shrunk due to the weight of the rock and soil lying over it. This has damaged the groundwater reservoirs permanently in many cases.
What can we do to manage the crisis? Water conservation is key. And this is not just by taking shorter showers! Consider having a grass-free lawn at home and making sure there are no leaks in the water pipes in our homes. It helps to find out where our drinking water comes from so that we can plan ways to preserve our source.
At the community level, we have to consider using recycled non-wastewater for toilet flushing. We need to invest in diverting snowmelt and rainwater to underground reservoirs. The state and federal governments need to focus on policies and regulations to conserve groundwater and invest in water sanitation and filtration facilities.
We all need to play our part in fighting this crisis. We owe it to our future generations.
-Isha Kapoor
Isha is a senior at Mayo High School in Rochester, MN.
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