How To Plan For "No Water"
As More Cities Are Losing Access To Drinkable Water, It's Time To Get Prepared.
Call it what you want: stress, scarcity, shortage.
When communities can’t fulfill their water needs, either because supplies are insufficient, infrastructure is inadequate, or water pollution is too high, then you have a water crisis.
As populations have swelled in major cities and plans to update antiquated water infrastructure have been kicked down the road, demand for safe, usable water in many places exceeds the supply.
We need to stop thinking that the problem is “coming” and start planning for what to do now that it’s here.
Kabul, Afghanistan, could become the first modern capital in the world to run completely dry, according to a recent report.
The term “day zero” gained momentum during Cape Town's severe water crisis from 2015 to 2018, when the city faced the possibility of running out of water entirely due to prolonged drought and mismanagement.
Iran’s capital Tehran is also close to a “day zero,” as the country has grappled with drought conditions for the last five years watching key reservoirs shrink and authorities scramble to reduce water consumption.
Last year, Mexico City, and its population of nearly 22 million people, faced a severe water shortage thanks to a mixture of draught, extremely high temps, chaotic urban development, and leaky infrastructure.
But headlines are not looking much better here in the U.S.
Texas
The Texas Tribune ran a huge story earlier this year about how the state is running out of water.
Texas officials fear the state is gravely close to running out of water.
Towns and cities could be on a path toward a severe shortage of water by 2030, data compiled in the state's 2022 water plan by the Texas Water Development Board indicates. This would happen if there is recurring, record-breaking drought conditions across the state, and if water entities and state leaders fail to put in place key strategies to secure water supplies.
At risk is the water Texans use every day for cooking, cleaning — and drinking.
Here’s a photo sent to me from Kilgore, Texas, this month.
City leaders say much of the water system dates back to the 1930s and replacing old pipe will take years.
Oklahoma
Large and small towns across Oklahoma are concerned about water scarcity with reports of dripping pipes, water main breaks, and leaks.
"We want to encourage all of our customers and the people we serve in central Oklahoma to just be mindful of how they’re using their water,” Jennifer McClintock, the spokesperson for the Oklahoma City Utilities Department, told a local news station earlier this year. “We just don’t know how much water is being put out by all of these different broken lines or a lot of things may be leaking underground if they just have a crack in them,"
Much of the state has experienced severe drought in the past several years. Local lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 259, requiring commercial entities (including farmers and ranchers) to measure how much water they pull from Oklahoma’s aquifers.
Another measure aimed at groundwater use proposed a pause on new permits to use groundwater for agricultural or commercial purposes. Under Senate Bill 133, new permits could be issued for a groundwater basin after the Oklahoma Water Resources Board completes a hydrogeological study of the aquifer to determine how much water use it can sustain.
California
While drought in the Golden State gets a ton of attention, it also lacks adequate water infrastructure to provide Californians with the resources they will need in the future.
“The data doesn’t lie, and it is telling us that our water system is unprepared for California’s hotter and drier climate,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement earlier this summer.
Despite efforts to increase groundwater and develop stronger partnerships with water agencies, California’s water system remains unprepared for the hotter and drier future, according to a new report showing that the state is collecting more groundwater data than ever before.
Georgia
After the 2022 completion to deepen the Savannah Harbor, which opened up the port to significantly larger shipping vessels, Georgia’s growing coastal region struggled to maintain an adequate supply of water.
Earlier this year, members of the Georgia Water Coalition, a consortium of more than 250 organizations aimed at protecting and caring for the state’s surface and groundwater resources, lobbied legislators to protect Georgia’s communities and water.
One piece of legislation they advocated for? House Bill 611, which would require industries to disclose PFAS use to utilities, enabling targeted treatment and helping reduce costs. Early action would protect public health, make water cleaner, and prevent expensive cleanups.
Residents near Meta’s new AI data center in Newton County, Georgia, have reported their private wells running dry, leaving homes without access to running water, according to a July story in The New York Times.
The situation has become so dire that Newton County is on track to be in a water deficit by 2030, according to a report last year. If the local water authority cannot upgrade its facilities, residents could be forced to ration water. In the next two years, water rates are set to increase 33 percent, more than the typical 2 percent annual increases, said Blair Northen, the mayor of Mansfield, a town in Newton County.
Bloomberg News found that about two-thirds of new data centers built or in development since 2022 are in places already gripped by high levels of water stress.
Iowa
Water supply challenges continue to plague the Hawkeye State due to high nitrate levels in rivers, which have led to restrictions on lawn watering and concerns about safe drinking water.
This summer, Central Iowa Water Works, Des Moines region's water authority, banned its 600,000 commercial and residential customers from watering their lawns, as high levels of nitrate pollutants in local rivers threatened to surpass its treatment capabilities.
Circle of Blue adds:
Years of poor stewardship, weak enforcement, and political intimidation have yielded grievously contaminated water statewide from pesticides and farm nutrients that fouls creeks and lakes. The mess puts the health of every Iowan in peril—and extends that peril more than 1,200 miles downstream to the Gulf of Mexico. That’s no exaggeration.
Losing Hope In the Social Contract
Rooted in the idea that individuals collectively agree to form a society and abide by its rules for mutual benefit, the social contract is believing that government should help as part of this collective agreement. Issues like drinking water delivery have been viewed as shared responsibilities, not just individual burdens.
But as anyone from a community dealing with a water crisis can tell you, you can’t wait for your local officials to fix the problem when the water is not drinkable. You have to rely on yourselves and your community.
How To Plan for No Water
From droughts to contamination to broken or aging infrastructure to strains from agriculture and new tech, many parts of the U.S. and the world are already dealing with water stress.
Household-Level Planning
Store emergency water (1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days). Store water in cool, dark places away from direct sunlight and chemicals.
Install rainwater catchment system (if legal in your area).
Use greywater systems to reuse non-sewage water.
Toilet tips: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow”: Only flush solid waste to conserve water or make a DIY composting toilet: line a bucket with heavy-duty trash bag, add sawdust or cat litter after each use.
Community-Level Resilience
Push for local water audits and leak repairs.
Support drought-tolerant landscaping (“xeriscaping”).
Advocate for municipal rainwater harvesting and conservation policies.
Educate youth and communities on water use, recycling, and emergency planning.
Get to know your water operators and support efforts for additional training so they can run facilities at the highest level.
Policy & Legal Preparedness
Ensure laws protect public access over private profit (especially in drought-prone areas).
Back infrastructure investments that fix water waste.
Prepare for legal battles over water rights and usage priority.
The Mental Shift
It’s not about fear; it’s about realism. If you wait until the emergency hits, it’s already too late.
Planning for “no water” doesn’t mean assuming it will all disappear. It means building systems and habits that protect, conserve, and fairly distribute what’s left.
The planet will not completely run out of freshwater, but the availability of clean, accessible freshwater is increasingly under threat.
Locally and regionally, freshwater shortages are becoming more common and severe. If current trends continue without better management and conservation, some areas could face severe scarcity or depletion of usable freshwater.
Would we rather not have to deal with this kind of water crisis? Of course! But this challenge is forcing us to wake up. What’s your plan?
One Tap At A Time
The point of sharing all this information is so that you can protect yourself. Don’t assume regulatory agencies have your back.
Getting an at home water-filtration system is a good bet right now. If affordability is a concern, find a budget-friendly model. Get involved with these issues locally, so that you have a say in the future of your water management. It’s worth it to have a plan.
New Movie 📽: Harm In The Water
HARM IN THE WATER is a groundbreaking documentary by Kendall Moore, exploring water pollution's impact on Black communities along the Mississippi River, examining the intersection of environmental justice, history, and science.
Add your ideas to the collective plan. Are you prepared for a water shortage or crisis? Let us know your tips below.
We moved 17 years ago from Dallas, Tx to Eugene, Oregon- precisely for this reason. Water is sacred here.