7 Water-Saving Strategies for Your Business

Water is critical to sustaining our society, but we are pushing some resources to their limits.

In the US, the Colorado River, the primary water source for seven states, including California, is dipping dangerously low due to poor river management and a drought lasting more than two decades.

Lake Powell, a holding tank for outflow from the Colorado River, is perilously close to a “dead pool,” where water levels get so low that water cannot flow downstream. If Lake Powel goes dry, the consequences will be immediate and sweeping, given that Colorado supports $1.4 trillion in economic output and 16 million jobs.

A dry Colorado River would affect drinking water, sanitation, agriculture, manufacturing, and even electricity, since Lake Powel provides power to more than 4.5 million people.

Water scarcity does not just impact the US. From South Africa to Chile, countries worldwide have grappled with water shortages. Today 450 million children live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability.

But here’s some encouraging news. Water scarcity doesn’t have to be inevitable. As governments work to renegotiate better water management, businesses can take steps to avoid a true water crisis and prepare themselves for upcoming water constraints.