A solution to the U.S. water problem: People who use more water, pay more
Approximately one-third of the United States is in at least a moderate state of drought. Exacerbating the drought is a rapidly increasing population. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the country’s population will balloon from nearly 310 million in 2010 to more than 420 million in 2060. Experts say that current levels of water consumption cannot continue. One expert says that seasonally adjusted increasing block rates could be the answer. In short, people who use more water, pay more.
If dollar bills flowed out of the faucet and down the drain every time you turned on the tap, would you pay more attention to how long you kept it running? Stated simply, this is the thinking of University of Arizona professor, who says U.S. water law policy needs a serious overhaul to solve the country’s severe drought conditions.
Robert Glennon, Regents’ Professor and the Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy at the James E. Rogers College of Law, says most people think of water as if it is air — an infinite and inexhaustible resource, when it’s actually quite finite.
“I think that we Americans are spoiled,” he said. “When we wake up in the morning, we turn on the tap and out comes as much water as we want, for less than we pay for cellphone service or for cable television.”
A UA release reports that according to the U.S. Drought Monitor Web site, approximately one-third of the United States is in at least a moderate state of drought, with the most severe drought being experienced in the Southwest. Exacerbating the drought is a rapidly increasing population. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the country’s population will balloon from nearly 310 million in 2010 to more than 420 million in 2060.
“Where are we going to get the water and other resources for an additional 110 million fellow U.S. citizens?” Glennon asked. “It’s a real challenge. And that’s before you consider climate change.”
Glennon, the author of Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to Do About It and a recent Hamilton Project paper titled Shopping for Water, says most people do not even think about their daily water use.
“Even in places where people pay a ‘bill’ for water, they’re not actually paying for the water,” he said. “What they’re paying for when they write that check … is the cost of service.”
Glennon said that seasonally adjusted increasing block rates could be the answer. In short, people who use more water, pay more.
Increasing the price of water is controversial, Glennon acknowledged, adding that it is necessary to recognize the human right to water. Allotting a modest amount for basic sanitation, cooking and drinking would require only twelve to fifteen gallons of water per person per day.
Multiplied times the approximately 310 million U.S. citizens, the amount would equal around 1 percent of total current U.S. water consumption.
