Why is Water So Expensive?

Why is water so expensive?  I ask myself that question every time I receive a bill from my local utility.  I also mutter incoherently as I pay the bill, and cast a baleful glance in the direction of the utility office.  However, is my ire justified?  Are the officials at the utility smoking cigars and bathing in greenbacks out of greed and avarice?  Here are the real reasons water is expensive.

1. Increased Demand – The principle of supply and demand certainly factors into the equation.  The US population in 1950 was 151.3 million.  The US population currently stands at 342 million.  That means that for every straw that was in the cup 75 years ago, there are now two straws vying for the same water.  Some regions are obviously more affected than others.  I am a Floridian (yes, I qualify for Florida man stories).  Florida had a population of 2.77 million in 1950.  Florida currently has a population of 23.3 million.  There are now 23 straws where there used to be 3.  The water sources for Florida have not increased, but the demand has.  Increased demand for a limited resource equates to escalating prices.
2. Infrastructure Failure – Most water systems were built 50-100 years ago.  In a publication called Water Treatment 411, Melissa Diehl wrote “the nation’s water infrastructure is crumbling.”  She further states, “The water sector in the US is facing a financial crisis.  A massive $110 billion funding gap is threatening the ability of utilities to maintain, upgrade and expand critical infrastructure.”   As noted, the infrastructure is old, and cities have been built over that infrastructure.  Think of the costs associated with excavating a water main that runs under a city street when it ruptures.  Degrading infrastructure demands additional revenue.
3. Increased Water Quality Standards – While this sounds like unnecessary regulations driving up costs, consider that the pollutants faced in the 21st century are a product of societal changes occurring over the last 150 years.  PFAFS or forever chemicals are a family of more than 12,000 man made compounds that do not break down naturally.  They are like zombies that never die.  PFAFS are detectable in the blood stream of almost every living human on the planet, and are causing health issues such as cancer, immune system suppression, and reduced fertility to name a few.  Recognizing this, attempts are being made to filter these chemicals out of drinking water.  Cleansing water requires new sophisticated methods.  Since I do not want to be pickled by PFAFS and join the ranks of the undead, I am all for this filtration.  However, increased filtration precipitates increased cost.

While I like to think that there is a pot-bellied, cigar smoking official wearing a checkered jacket laughing as my utility payments fund his exorbitant lifestyle, that probably is not the case.  The reality is much more complicated.  There are many reasons why water is increasing in cost, and I have only touched on three in this article.  Are there solutions?  None that are painless, but that is an article for another day.