The Future of Water: A Startling Look Ahead

256 Pages·2011·9.47 MB·English

by  Steve Maxwell

Praise for
the Future of Water
M
A
X
“Steve Maxwell takes us straight into the realities of the water crisis that is now W
spreading through all parts of the country, and indeed of the entire world.” E
LL Imagine for a moment that a giant asteroid
—From the foreword by Bruce Babbitt,
is hurtling directly toward Earth and is
former US Secretary of the Interior
certain to destroy us in ten years. With an
immediate and coordinated effort, however,
“The Future of Water is sobering and exhilarating at the same time. It’s sobering t
scientists can develop technology to redirect
as Maxwell and Yates detail just how water touches so many aspects of modern h or explode the asteroid before impact.
life, and how dire the situation might be if nothing changes. However, this book is Wouldn’t the people of the world quickly agree
e
also exhilarating in the fast-paced way it examines the future of water, from our to drop their differences and collectively find
own kitchen sinks to massive dams in China.” a way for the human race to survive?
Steve Maxwell has provided strate-
F
gic consulting and investment services —Bill Owens, former Governor of Colorado
We are rushing headlong into a global water
to the water industry for 20 years and u crisis of equally calamitous proportions. The
has managed dozens of mergers and “Water is our greatest global challenge and local opportunity, and yet it seems
dual threat of compromised water quality
acquisitions in the industry. He is the invisible to many and inexhaustible to most. Maxwell connects the dots and drops t
and water shortages amounts to one of the
author of the annual Water Market to chart a more sustainable future for our blue planet and for your community u
greatest challenges of our time. This impend-
Review as well as hundreds of articles watershed. We need to wake up and smell the water, change our old policies and ing crisis may not have the sudden impact of
on water resource and business r
paradigms, and begin to manage water as one resource, integrating and innovat- the asteroid, but if a united effort to solve the
issues. He holds advanced degrees
ing from top to bottom, above and below.” e problems is not forthcoming, the ultimate
in public policy and geology from
effect will be just as dire.
Harvard University and is a Phi Beta —Benjamin H. Grumbles,
President, Clean Water America Alliance o
Kappa graduate of Earlham College.
Fortunately, it is not too late to prevent a water
Mr. Maxwell is also an avid cyclist former EPA Assistant Administrator and
f disaster. Find out what may be in store for us
and recently became one of the few Arizona Environmental Director
as author Steve Maxwell presents an incisive
Americans to complete the legend- W
look at how water could be used, transported,
ary climb Mont Ventoux, in southern “This is the book the industry and the public it serves has been waiting for —
and stored in and around our homes, in
France, from all three directions in one a clear, concise, comprehensive, and authoritative look not just to the future, but to
agriculture, and in industry. Maxwell’s
day. He lives in Boulder, Colorado. the context from which that future is evolving. This is an important book that will a detailed take on the future describes how
become a reference for water professionals, policy makers, and private citizens t the actions of individuals, water utilities,
concerned about our water future, and what we can do to craft it.” e industries, and even entire countries can
Scott Yates is a writer, consultant, positively alter the flow of water. An insider’s
—Bill Bertera, former Executive Director,
r
and entrepreneur. After graduating view into the business side of water, Maxwell’s
Water Environment Federation
with a journalism degree from New specialty, sheds light for investors and others
York University, he started his writing on the future availability, cost, and true
career at SPY Magazine in New York value of this precious resource, in the US and
City. He went on to work at newspapers throughout the world.
and magazines in New York, Connect-
icut, and Colorado, winning numerous
regional and national awards. He
lives in Denver with his wife, son, and
dictionary collection.
1P-1.5M-20692-4/11-SB
$39.99 USA $59.99 CAN
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the
Future
of
Water
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20692 Future of Water.indb 2 6/22/2011 9:38:10 AM
the
Future
of
Water
A STARTLING LOOK AHEAD
by STEVE MAXWELL
with SCOTT YATES
Foreword by BruCE BABBiTT
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The Future of Water: A Startling Look Ahead
Copyright © 2011 American Water Works Association
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmit-
ted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,
recording, or any information or retrieval system, except in the form of brief
excerpts or quotations for review purposes, without the written permission of the
publisher.
The authors, contributors, editors, and publisher do not assume responsibility for
the validity of the content or any consequences of its use. In no event will AWWA
be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising
out of the use of information presented in this book. In particular, AWWA will
not be responsible for any costs, including, but not limited to, those incurred as a
result of lost revenue. In no event shall AWWA’s liability exceed the amount paid
for the purchase of this book.
Project Manager: Scott Millard
Publications Manager: Gay Porter De Nileon
Technical Editor: Martha Ripley Gray
Production Editor: Cheryl Armstrong
Cover Art: Maurizio Marotta
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Maxwell, Steve.
The future of water: a startling look ahead/by Steve Maxwell; with Scott Yates;
foreword by Bruce Babbitt.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58321-809-9
1. Water resources development. 2. Sustainable development. 3. Climatic
changes--Environmental aspects. I. Yates, Scott. II. American Water Works Asso-
ciation. III. Title.
HD1691.M38 2011
333.91--dc22
2011005552
Printed in the United States of America
6666 West Quincy Avenue
Denver, CO 80235-3098
303.794.7711 • www.awwa.org
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To my children, Nick and Beck,
with the hope that their generation will be
more water-smart than preceding ones.
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Contents
Foreword by Bruce Babbitt xi
Prologue 1
1 Looking Back on the Future of Water 9
Looking Back to 1910....................................... 9
Looking Forward ......................................... 12
Four Major and Recurring Themes ........................... 14
2 The Future of Water Use Outside the Home 17
Lawns: The American Dream ............................... 17
Trends in Landscaping and Water Savings...................... 21
Changing Attitudes ....................................... 24
3 The Future of Water Use Inside the Home 29
The Tale of the Toilet...................................... 30
The TP Factor ........................................... 32
Recycling Trends ......................................... 33
Clothes Washing ......................................... 36
Bathing................................................. 38
Gray Water Systems ....................................... 41
Doing the Dishes ......................................... 42
Cooking and Drinking..................................... 44
Bottled Water............................................ 46
4 The Future of Agricultural Water Use 53
Abundance, Scarcity, and Cost............................... 53
The Water Cost of Raising Livestock ......................... 56
The Water Cost of Crops ................................... 65
The Case Against Cotton................................... 71
More on the Water Footprint................................ 74
Summing Up Water and Food............................... 76
vviiii
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5 The Future of Industrial Water Use 81
Emerging Trends ......................................... 82
Where the Water Is........................................ 83
Reducing Consumption.................................... 85
Longer-Term Trends....................................... 88
Environmental Concerns ................................... 90
An Example from the Coal Industry .......................... 91
Gold Mining ............................................ 94
The Nexus of Energy and Water ............................. 95
6 Future Sources of Water 99
Freshwater from the Ocean ................................. 99
Innovations in Desalination................................ 105
Other New Sources of Water ............................... 108
Groundwater Management..................................110
Other Approaches.........................................115
7 The Future of Water Storage 119
China’s Vast Diversion Projects ............................. 120
Global Reach and Conflict................................. 123
The Decline of US Dams ................................. 126
Worldwide Trends ....................................... 131
8 The Future of Water Utilities 135
Large Utilities........................................... 136
Making Water Safe to Drink ............................... 139
Wastewater Treatment .................................... 143
Innovations in Wastewater Treatment .........................145
A Look at the Smaller Utilities.............................. 149
Water Utilities Around the World ............................153
9 The Future of the Water Business 157
The Current Water Industry ................................157
The Rush to Invest........................................159
Water Risk ............................................. 163
Water Rights ............................................165
Privatization and Outsourcing of Water....................... 172
viii
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10 The Future Role of Water 181
Population ............................................. 185
Economic Growth ....................................... 187
Energy ................................................ 188
Climate Change..........................................191
General Demographic Trends............................... 192
The General Outlook..................................... 194
11 Looking Forward to the Future of Water 201
Solutions for Tomorrow ................................... 202
Back to Our Recurring Themes............................. 208
Concluding Thoughts .....................................214
Acknowledgments 217
Bibliography 219
Index 233
ix
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