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| • | Salty water. Rising sea levels can not only cause floods and erode coastal communities but also, over time, cause salt water to leech into aquifers and contaminate drinking water. Academic researchers are looking closely at communities along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to identify which water systems are most vulnerable to saltwater intrusion and how utilities might respond. “Smart” water systems, for instance, use wireless sensors to discover when salinity is high, enabling resource managers to shift to other water sources. [Scientific American] | | | | • | Dried up. There’s no end in sight for the drought in the American West, which could potentially get worse over the coming months. A new US government forecast reveals “below-average precipitation is most likely” in the West. That’s more bad news for the region, where water shortages are already affecting many communities. Another study noted that between 2000 and 2021, the West was the driest it had been in 1,200 years. [CNN] | | | | • | Pipes older than grandma. Much of the US’s water and wastewater infrastructure was built in the 1970s and 1980s. The average US water network pipe is 45 years old, with some cast-iron pipes more than a century old. And in certain communities, drinking water is unsafe because of lead and other contaminants. Throughout the nation, 400,000 schools and childcare centers don’t have access to clean drinking water. At the same time, US water systems lose six billion gallons of treated drinking water every day through leaks. | | | | • | New funding flows. Over the next five years, the US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a historic amount of new spending to update water infrastructure through two EPA programs. The approximately $30 billion allotted to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the nearly $13 billion allocated to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund will help communities replace lead pipes, remove contaminants from water, and update water-treatment plants. Read the article for five ways government and business leaders can prepare for the incoming flow of capital. | | | | — Edited by Belinda Yu | | This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. | | You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. | | | | Copyright © 2022 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007 | | | |
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