freshwater is a most precious and rare earth resource. in the United States, almost 50 percent of our drinking water comes from underground aquifers. the rest is sourced from rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and springs.

there are 68 principal aquifers nationwide, but only 20 of them contribute to the majority of our drinking water supply (refer to the map below). Within these 20 aquifers, concentrations of at least one organic (carbon-based) chemical surpass the established benchmarks for human health. contaminants include pesticides, solvents, and nitrate, the latter being most prevalent in the stream valley aquifer of the Great Plains states. trace contaminants, such as arsenic, manganese, and strontium, originate from geologic sources. Radioactive constituents like radon are also present, particularly in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Northern Midwest aquifers. Understanding this information is crucial to local water treatment.

today, the federal government seeks to mandate that utilities remove and replace all lead supply lines over the next ten years. young children will benefit from reduced exposure to drinking water contaminated by lead and communities will have fewer leaking pipes, a few positive results of an investment in long-overdue infrastructure.

however, the impact of climate change is reducing the surface water (rivers, snowpack) that feeds the aquifers and overpumping is depleting the precious underground resource. as water is withdrawn from aquifers, the remaining voids may fill up with collapsing rock and dirt further reducing the aquifer’s capacity.

agricultural production and livestock farming (wheat, corn, sugarcane, rice, cotton, beef) are two of the largest consumers of water. large-scale industrial users include mining, paper, pulp, cement, data centers, and power plant operations. in consumer-facing businesses like fashion, food beverages, and automotive, water consumption is high throughout the supply and production chains. without stricter controls, water will be an increasingly scarce resource causing strife for nations, businesses, and all life forms.

manufacturers (and the designer) seeking to consider a product’s water usage may calculate the water footprint based on ISO-14040 and 14046 standards which focus on a lifecycle assessment approach, or apply the w.f.n. (water footprint network) approach. the goal is to understand the water consumed in the production of raw materials and goods. for example, it takes 22 gallons of water to make one pound of plastic. another method is to evaluate the entire lifecycle of a specific product. for example, the water required for all the production steps to make a single smartphone is estimated to be 3,190 gallons. diving deeper, the calculation may also consider the type of water consumed like blue water (surface water), green water (rainwater), and gray water (freshwater diluted with wastewater).

“A drop of water, if it could write out its own history, would explain the universe to us.”

– Lucy Larcom, american teacher, writer, and poet, 1824-1893