The Value Of Water

Water is necessary to life itself. Much as the human body relies on water to survive, virtually every aspect of society depends on water in order to function. Without it, there would be no fire protection, no agriculture, no manufacturing, and no power grid. (Yet this most precious resource is too easily undervalued, particularly in the U.S., where 300 million Americans are accustomed to paying as little as a penny a gallon for clean, safe water from the tap.)

The historic under-pricing of water is largely due to a perception that water is "free" — a fundamental human need supplied by the earth itself. The vast infrastructure required to treat and deliver that water where it is needed, however, is far from free. In fact, the cleaning and delivery of water is three times more capital intensive to provide than any other utility, yet it is typically the least expensive of Americans' monthly utility bills.

This has created an increasingly unsustainable scenario, as a growing population puts stress on the available water supply and the aging infrastructure the nation relies on. Across the country, water systems — and their customers — are enduring the ramifications of underinvestment and, consequently, poor maintenance. It is estimated that every two minutes a significant water line ruptures somewhere in the U.S, leading not only to trillions of gallons of water wasted annually, but severe economic losses as well. In the summer of 2011, for instance, the rupture of a century-old water main in The Bronx disrupted the morning commute, damaged two gas mains, shut down electrical service to 500 customers for several days, and put as many as 60 local businesses at risk of permanently closing.

Until it is priced in a way that encourages wise use, reflects the true cost of delivering it, and allows for adequate replacement of that infrastructure, Americans will continue to take water for granted, and the infrastructure that makes it so easy for them to do so will continue to deteriorate.