From Crisis to Control: AI Offers New Hope for Water Management
Nearly 40 million people — roughly 12% of the U.S. population — rely on the Colorado River for water. This iconic river, which stretches across seven states, supports irrigation, generates power, and serves as a vital source of drinking water. Yet its flow has diminished by about 20% over the past century — a seemingly modest decline that carries significant consequences. A mere 10% reduction in flow jeopardizes $1.4 trillion in economic activity.
Three critical factors compound the challenges facing the Colorado River: overdependence, climate change, and aging infrastructure. Together, they create a pressing need for innovative water management solutions as water scarcity becomes a growing regional crisis.
The impacts of water scarcity are particularly visible in states like Arizona and California. A 2023 Arizona Department of Water Resources report predicted a groundwater shortage of 4.6 million acre-feet over the next century. For perspective, one acre-foot of water can support up to three households for a year, depending on the community. This looming shortfall could disrupt new development approvals in the Phoenix metropolitan area, home to 4.6 million people, unless alternative water sources are secured.
California faces similar challenges. The 2023 State Water Project Delivery Capability Report estimated that by 2043, the state’s water delivery capacity could decline by 23% due to shifting water flow patterns and extreme weather events. This reduction — equal to 496,000 acre-feet annually — represents enough water to supply 1.7 million homes for a year.
Beyond shortages, water loss due to leaks, theft, or metering inaccuracies — referred to as Non-Revenue Water (NRW) — exacerbates the crisis. Worldwide, approximately 35% of treated drinking water is lost each year as NRW. In the U.S. alone, six billion gallons of treated water are wasted daily, adding up to two trillion gallons annually. This staggering loss of resources costs municipalities around $8 billion every year, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Aging infrastructure further compounds the issue. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that $625 billion will be needed over the next two decades to address deteriorating drinking water systems. Leaks and inefficiencies drive up costs for utilities, hampering their ability to invest in critical infrastructure upgrades. The burden often falls on consumers, as utilities are forced to raise rates, adding financial pressure on households and businesses.
To address these challenges, Oldcastle Infrastructure has developed CivilSense™, a cutting-edge water infrastructure asset management solution that combines advanced artificial intelligence with decades of expertise. CivilSense uses network and acoustic data to identify leaks and predict pipe failures before they occur, offering municipalities a proactive and sustainable way to improve their water management. By leveraging data-driven insights, this solution helps cut operational costs, prevent major line breaks, and reduce water loss effectively, making it an invaluable tool for communities struggling with water scarcity.
CivilSense is particularly impactful as municipalities face staffing shortages, skill gaps due to retirements, and tight budgets that hinder necessary repairs. By providing a scalable and efficient solution, water utilities can mitigate resource loss and plan for the future with greater confidence.
Forward-thinking communities are seeking ways to cope with water scarcity today with innovative measures like CivilSense. Consider Bartow County, a community about 50 miles north of Atlanta that buys about 95% of its water from neighboring cities and counties.
In an Oldcastle Infrastructure pilot program, CivilSense analyzed the water distribution network and identified nine separate leaks, varying from small (1–4 gallons per minute) to medium (5–9 gallons per minute) and large (more than 10 gallons per minute). Of the nine, two were small, three were medium, and four were large. The total water lost from these nine leaks totaled 83 gallons per minute, which translates to nearly 120,000 gallons a day or 43 million gallons per year.
“Repairing small leaks that are three-to-five gallons per minute may not sound exciting, but having the ability to find and fix leaks before they create more damage is a much more proactive and less costly approach,” said Lamont Kiser, director of Bartow County Water. “Our proactive approach is working for Bartow County and our citizens.”
Water scarcity is no longer a distant threat — it’s a present-day reality demanding action. With CivilSense, municipalities of all sizes can adopt smarter water management practices to protect their most vital resource. As the challenges grow, so do the opportunities to innovate and secure a sustainable water future for future generations.
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