Critical water scarcity challenges facing the water industry

In California and other parts of Southwestern United States, persistent and widespread drought due to climate change is one of our biggest water supply challenges. As populations continue to rise in the region, the demand for water continues to increase, making the regional drought challenges even more critical to address. Development and advancement of new technologies are opening new ways to provide the community with sustainable and resilient solutions.

To address the drought seen across the region, water agencies are turning to alternative water supplies and an integrated water management (IWM) approach to water to create a more balanced portfolio. This includes increasing water recycling and implementing new sources of supply such as stormwater capture, indirect and direct potable reuse, and brackish and seawater desalination. Local agencies are now able to tailor their portfolio around what alternative water supplies are available to them and take local control to enhance their water supply reliability. By working together with other local entities more efficiencies can be realized.

Continued innovation in the water treatment industry allows for more development of alternative water supplies and is making a significant impact in the water industry. Advances in technology make these projects more affordable and more sustainable and result in faster implementation and increased reliability for communities in drought-stricken areas. Organizations like CalDesal are using a unified voice to promote the usage and importance of these advancements at the state level. GHD and CalDesal are fostering collaborative innovation between technology providers and end users to help bridge this gap.