Experts warn that crumbling infrastructure, drought and expanding data centers are placing growing pressure on America’s water systems.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Cities across the United States are confronting mounting water stress as aging infrastructure, drought conditions and rising industrial demand strain the nation’s drinking water systems.
According to a detailed report by The Epoch Times, the largest challenge facing many municipalities may not be water scarcity itself but deteriorating pipes and infrastructure that waste massive volumes of treated water each day.
The issue has become increasingly urgent as drought conditions and large-scale water consumption from industries such as data centers intensify pressure on municipal water supplies.
More than one-third of the United States experienced drought conditions last year, and nearly 30 million Americans live in areas classified as having high water stress, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
At the same time, the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure is increasing water demand. Individual data centers can consume more than 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling operations—roughly the amount used by towns with populations ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 residents.
The United States currently has an estimated 4,149 operational data centers, with another 2,788 announced or under construction.
Despite those pressures, experts say the most significant losses occur within municipal water systems themselves. Approximately 6.75 billion gallons of treated drinking water leak from aging pipes every day across the country.
Government officials have warned about this issue for years. A 2014 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that 40 out of 50 state water managers expected water supply shortages within a decade under average conditions.
Recent surveys indicate that concerns about water infrastructure are intensifying. A Schneider Electric study found that 75 percent of U.S. city officials and more than half of business executives now expect water risks to surpass other infrastructure threats.
“Water is not just essential for life—it’s the backbone of America’s economic strength—yet today the U.S. is facing a major water crisis, driven by dwindling supply and outdated infrastructure,” said Sophie Borgne, president of Schneider Electric’s water and environment segment.
Much of the country’s water infrastructure dates back decades. Many drinking water pipes currently in service are between 45 and 100 years old, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Some systems still contain materials such as lead and copper.
The American Society of Civil Engineers highlighted the severity of the issue in its 2025 infrastructure report card, which assigned a C- rating to U.S. drinking water systems and a D+ rating to wastewater infrastructure.
“The nation’s water infrastructure is aging and underfunded. More than 9 million existing lead service lines pose health concerns,” the engineers wrote.
Funding gaps have slowed progress toward replacing outdated pipes. Engineers noted that only about 30 percent of water utilities have fully implemented asset management plans for their infrastructure, while fewer than half are actively working toward one.
In October 2024, the EPA finalized a rule requiring the nationwide replacement of lead pipes, with compliance beginning that year. The agency estimates that replacing aging water infrastructure—including pipes, treatment plants and related systems—will cost roughly $625 billion.
EPA officials say recent estimates suggest about 4 million lead service lines remain nationwide, down from previous estimates of 9 million. The agency has made $3 billion in state funding available to reduce lead exposure in drinking water.
“EPA is committed to Making America Healthy Again by ensuring that all Americans can rely on clean and safe drinking water,” an agency spokesperson said, noting that federal technical assistance programs are available to help utilities identify and replace lead pipes.
Even with funding support, replacing water systems remains extremely costly. Economist and technology futurist Jeff Stollman said that replacing pipes can cost between $1 million and $4 million per mile depending on pipe size, location and installation method.
The United States has more than 2.2 million miles of underground drinking water pipes. Replacing just half of them at the lowest estimated cost would require roughly $1.1 trillion in investment.
“Losing $6 billion a year, it would take nearly 200 years for the current losses to equal the cost of replacement,” Stollman said.
Many municipalities already face financial constraints, which means water utilities may need to increase rates to fund improvements. Water bills have already been rising in recent years.
Bank of America reported that water bills increased across the country since 2022, with the Mid-Atlantic region experiencing the largest annual increase in 2024 at 9.5 percent.
Research firm Bluefield Research found that U.S. water and sewer bills increased 24 percent over the previous five years.
“The cost of maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure continues to rise, and these costs are being passed down to ratepayers,” Bluefield analyst Megan Bondar said.
Experts note that leakage does not necessarily remove water permanently from the environment. Neno Duplan, chief executive officer of Locus Technologies, said much of the leaked water eventually returns to the hydrologic cycle through soil infiltration, aquifer recharge or surface flows.
However, the real loss lies in the energy and cost required to treat and deliver water that never reaches customers.
“The real issue is not physical loss of water molecules,” Duplan said. “The real issue is loss of treated, pressurized, potable water service and the economic and energy waste associated with producing water that never reaches a paying customer.”
Infrastructure failures can also reduce reliability, preventing treated water from reaching homes and businesses even when raw water supplies remain adequate.
Bluefield Research estimates that five states—California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois—account for more than one-third of all infrastructure-related water losses in the country.
Contamination risks present another challenge. Duplan said polluted water supplies require costly treatment and remediation before they can be safely used.
“Treatment, remediation, and advanced purification are capital and energy-intensive processes. That is where the true risk and cost lie,” he said.
International organizations have also warned about growing global water challenges. In January, the United Nations said the pattern of water stress in many regions appears to represent a long-term structural shift rather than a temporary shortage.
Despite these concerns, many U.S. cities have begun upgrading their water systems.
Federal rules introduced in recent years have required utilities to inventory service line materials and identify lead pipes for replacement.
Several major cities have also expanded pipe replacement programs. Baltimore replaces or rehabilitates roughly 15 miles of water mains annually, while Milwaukee plans to replace 65,000 lead service lines by 2037.
Philadelphia replaces about 20 miles of aging pipes each year, some of which date back to the early 19th century.
In the Southwest, Phoenix reported more than 480,000 water service lines in a recent inventory and said it has no lead pipes. San Antonio has begun transitioning toward condition-based pipe replacement across its approximately 9,000-mile water system.
Experts say that while water supplies remain available in many regions, maintaining reliable delivery systems will require sustained investment and long-term infrastructure planning.
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