Not a Drop to Drink: America’s Water Crisis

Almost a year ago, we had wrote about how we are potentially on the path to global Peak Water. Today’s infographic elaborates more on the problem in the United States on a national basis .

Right now, the average American consumes about 100 gallons of water per day both directly and indirectly. This is a problem of conservation and efficiency as much as it is supply, as the aging water infrastructure had its last upgrade during the Reagan era.

In the next 20 years, it is expected that $1.5 trillion needs to be spent on building new infrastructure alone.

At the same time, only 0.3% of freshwater occurs in lakes and streams. With massive droughts occurring in the West of the United States and rivers such as the Colorado River drying up, clearly initial supply is just as much of a concern in America’s water crisis.

To solve the problem of less reliable freshwater supply, countries such as Israel have been turning to desalination. Recently, the government built a megascale $500 million desalination plant to supply up to 20% of the households with regular water supply.

Investors know that with every great problem, there are opportunities abound in companies that can provide solutions. Previously, Sprott Global had outlined three distinct areas that people looking to invest in water management solutions should consider: adaption to water systems to handle changing weather patterns, improving water safety, and managing storm water in urban areas.

Original graphic by: Last Call at the Oasis