Summary: Precarious water supply happens in cities around the world, and here in America. Here are a few cities that have worrying water situations, and how you can avoid this issue.
Between 2017 and 2018, the South African city of Cape Town faced a water crisis. For years, the city’s water reserve had been declining, ending up in a situation where everyone was rationing water by mandate. People were restricted in the amount of water that they were allowed per day and, in many instances, had to travel to receive their ration. Even essential services started bracing for what was dubbed “Day Zero,” when water supplies would be cut off entirely and severe rationing would take place.
Thankfully, Day Zero was avoided with an unusual amount of winter rains in the area and, since then, water usage has dropped and changes made to how the city uses its water. Many people around the world breathed a sigh of relief. However, the situation also made people more acutely aware of the precarious nature of water supplies in their own areas, even here in America.
Of course, the most famous instance of water issues here in the States is Flint, Michigan, where residents have been under a boil advisory and instructed to use bottled water for years, but there are other places in the United States with water issues.
- Lincoln, Nebraska
As one of the nation’s largest producers of corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay, Nebraska is in the heart of America’s farming industry. This not only means that there are large swaths of land that aren’t connected to the usual water supplies, but also that many areas have extremely high water demands. In the Lincoln area in particular, a severe drought led to the Platte River levels becoming dangerously low.
- Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta’s water supply is a combination of reservoir level problems and disputes. The Georgia’s West Point Lake, a 3,400-square-mile reservoir outside of Atlanta, was classified as a “dead pool.” The city never really recovered.
- El Paso, Texas
Standing where the Rio Grande runs these days, in some spots, sometimes feels like a great irony. It has all but dried up in some spots due to water diverting dating back decades, and the Texas government has accused New Mexico of unfairly using much of the river for its own use, at the detriment of cities like El Paso. The result: El Paso could face a water crisis if the situation isn’t fixed.
Don’t get caught with a dry well
American Water Surveyors can help you find water supplies hidden beneath your property, giving you a steady supply of well water that doesn’t make you beholden to the water supplies of others. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you avoid water shortages and use what is already on your own property.
