America’s 10 Driest Cities List Spotlights Water Shortage Issues

Scientists and water experts have predicted for several years that the United States is headed for some rather serious water shortage problems.

Their predictions are based on climate changes as well as practical and potentially costly concerns, such as the failure to upgrade water infrastructure in major cities to meet rising demand.

Recently, a study conducted by Sperling’s BestPlaces, an organization that analyzes various data, including water-related issues, released a list of the “Top 10 Drought-Riskiest Cities” in major U.S. metropolitan areas.

“While some cities were expected to be on the list, such as Los Angeles and Phoenix, there were some locations noted that were a surprise,” said Klaus Reichardt, CEO and managing partner of Waterless Co., manufacturers of waterless urinal systems. “In fact, some cities cited are in traditionally water-rich areas where drought and water shortages have been rare.”

The 10 cities expected to have the most severe water shortages in coming years are:
1. Los Angeles metropolitan area;
2. San Diego metropolitan area;
3. Oxnard-Thousand Oak, Calif.;
4. Riverside, Calif.;
5. Salt Lake City;
6. Nashville;
7. Chattanooga, Tenn.;
8. Birmingham, Ala.;
9. Greenville, N.C.; and
10. Knoxville, Tenn.

“This [water/drought] crisis has been growing slowly, but has been getting more attention in recent years, especially when Atlanta was just days from running out of water entirely a couple of years ago,” Reichardt said. “In the future, we anticipate all kinds of decisions from where people live to where businesses invest will be based on water.”

Source: Waterless Co.