John Sabo, director of research development for ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability, recently published an article with Robert Glennon in the journal Solutions that outlines the very imminent threat of water scarcity in the western U.S.
"To grasp the scale of water scarcity in the West, consider that earth fissures have opened up in Arizona from excessive groundwater pumping," the authors write. "In Southern California, lack of water has prompted the cancellation of scores of commercial and residential construction projects."
Despite low supplies, farmers, meat suppliers, and other water users are still guzzling water at a higher pace. Sabo and Glennon warn of the imbalance between supply and demand, suggesting increased residential tap water rates to improve infrastructure and revision and expansion of the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to offset costs.