Urban Land Institute issues water warning

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The Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young released a report Tuesday warning that an aging water infrastructure and growing shortages require attention and investment.

Citing “water profligacy as an American way of life,” the report, Infrastructure 2010: An Investment Imperative, states, “Most water districts do not charge ratepayers full outlays for constructing and maintaining systems…As a result, businesses and households tend to use water inefficiently and don’t conserve, even though per-capita water demand could outstrip future availability in some parts of the country."

The report points out that the United States has double the "water footprint" of other countries, using about 656,000 gallons per capita every year. Compare that to the 186,000 gallons used per capita in China and 408,000 used per capita in Germany.

The report cites four main water challenges:

• — Old pipes: A dilapidated water infrastructure leaks away gallons.
• — High growth constraining supplies.
• — Contamination threats from industrial chemicals and agricultural runoff.
• — Failure to conserve: Use of water in the U.S. has more than doubled since 1950, due to waste and neglected leaks that drip 1.25 trillion gallons annually.