Droughts, Hurricanes, Accidents, Failing Infrastructure Contribute To Growing Number Of Water Stress-Related Crises

We tend not to think about plumbing matters unless there’s a problem or we’re planning a new construction or remodeling project. In recent years though, there have been quite a few headline-grabbing, sometimes catastrophic, water and plumbing system-related problems impacting communities and households across the country.

These have included the Flint, Michigan water crisis, the lack of clean water to homes on Native American tribal lands that became a public health disaster during the pandemic, water system breakdowns in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, shrinking water levels in the Colorado River and possible waterway contamination from the recent East Palestine train derailment.

Water Stress

The plumbing industry calls the complex range of problems affecting life, health and safety tied to drinking and wastewater system failures ‘water stress.’ And those stressors increasingly pose problems for policy makers and everyday people across the country.

“Whether through the existence of aging or outdated plumbing and sewage systems or due to severe weather events exacerbated by the effects of climate change, millions of Americans live in communities with water under duress,” observes the resiliency toolkit section of the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials’ website. The IAPMO Group provides technical expertise on systems and an independent lab for testing, research advice and service for plumbing-related industries.

In addition to potentially lacking hand-washing capacity to slow or stop disease spread, water-borne pathogens spread more easily in defective plumbing systems. These contribute to the crises that grab headlines, but there are slower, looming catastrophes across the country. Failing infrastructure, outdated codes and practices, and a labor shortage are all barriers to mitigating issues and avoiding some problems, the group says. But not all. Other issues cause water stress, but require different solutions.

Drought Crisis

Water stress is starting to have an impact on choices people make on where they want to live, (especially in storm-prone regions), when they have the option to choose, with one notable exception: drought.

Quoting Redfin, Forbes.com contributor Brenda Richardson headlined a September 2022 article on the site: “More people are moving in rather than out of places against intense drought.” Though linked to the same climate forces as flooding and fires, water shortages may feel less immediate and thus, less, frightening.

If you own a home in parts of Arizona, or are contemplating building or buying in this top 10 growth state, water for your household is likely to be a looming problem. One Scottsdale suburb is suing the city for removing it from its supply plan. Other suburban developments still in the planning stage, including in the state’s most populous Maricopa County, potentially lack reliable sources of water supply. But Arizona is certainly not alone. Residents across the Sunbelt are facing similar challenges, with no end in sight as drought persists.

Drought Mitigation

For residents already living in drought-impacted areas or needing to relocate there, an IAPMO executive suggests some conservation resources. One for new construction is accurate pipe sizing for faster hot water delivery times, which can reduce up to 170 gallons per year per home.

The organization’s vice president of technical services and research, Christoph Lohr, who lives in Phoenix, wrote in an emailed conservation advice request response that there’s a bonus for homeowners to the sizing strategy, “The total average savings for a typical single-family home can exceed $2,000 and can be as high as $5,000, depending on location.”

He also recommended implementing gray water reuse for a 21,000 gallon per year per home saving, using shower and tub valves that shut off flow while waiting for the water to warm up to save 1600 gallons per year per home, and leak detection devices, which can save 1,600 gallons per year per home. (Leak detection can also save homeowners a massive insurance headache and deductible.)

Lohr totals the savings opportunities from these adaptations at about 30,000 annual gallons per home. “Imagine that type of water savings in the almost 50,000 homes being built in Arizona per year,” he declared.

Contamination Issues

We don’t expect water contamination issues to arise in the United States, but natural and man-made events can temporarily overwhelm a system or negatively affect its ability to keep our water supply safe. “Water that has been contaminated by a disaster should not be consumed until you can verify its safety,” cautioned IAPMO’s chief technical services officer Tom Palkon in an emailed response to safety questions.

The CDC and EPA are checking water quality in and around the East Palestine train derailment for human health concerns. There have already been news reports of thousands of fish and amphibians dying in the region’s waterways since the February 3 accident, making residents extremely nervous about the safety of water coming into their homes.

Flint, Michigan residents are in a sad group of nearly 3,000 communities that have been hit with lead infiltration in their pipes and water supply, according to Scientific American, and Flint wasn’t even the hardest hit.

Palkon shared, “There are a variety of water filters and reverse osmosis treatment units that have been certified to reduce lead in drinking water. When choosing a water filter, consumers should research products that have been tested and certified for the contaminants they would like removed from the water. It is important to look for products certified by an accredited third-party certification organization.”

There has been some federal relief for these households, and potential help for those to come.

Water Safety Relief

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established a grant program for communities needing extra help for implementing water quality programs, in addition to the lead pipe removal plans. Water filtration technologies are also funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Decentralized Water Systems Program, IAPMO reports.

Last Words

We may all be impacted by some form of water stress in coming years – if we haven’t been unknowingly or knowingly impacted already. It’s worth considering household mitigation (or at least detection) in building and remodeling plans, as well as factoring it into a relocation whenever possible. Safety and security comprise the second of five facets of wellness design, a practice becoming increasingly important in all of our lives.