Increased Water Service Interruptions Predicted Thanks to Global Warming

A new study predicts that in 30 years, water service interruptions will become commonplace thanks to climate change.  This is an unusual angle when it comes to global warming, so let’s explore!

Why Water Service Interruptions May Increase

I typically think about the impact of warming global temperatures in the context of an electric utility dealing with the fallout from a large hurricane or some other natural event.  But this is a whole new, quite scary angle that should serve as a wakeup call for water utility emergency planners all across the country. 

The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, suggests that an increase in average water temperature caused by a warming climate will dramatically increase the frequency of water service interruptions over the next 3 decades.  The 3 primary reasons are:

1. Warmer water decreases the effectiveness of chlorine and encourages the growth of microbes and bacteria.  If an outbreak were to occur, the system could literally be shut down for months in order to complete the sanitation process.
2. Warmer water has been linked to increased pipe deterioration, a problem exasperated by the fact that most water pipes are decades old to begin with.
3. Warmer water tends to decrease the efficiency of pumping operations, leading to pumping station shut downs.  Some cities, such as Phoenix, are already utilizing pumps that are specially made to withstand higher water temperatures. 

Water service interruptions are the antithesis of emergency preparedness – they hinder safety by promoting illness, they cut off access to a precious resource, and they reduce the ability to fight forest fires, among other negative outcomes. 

The bottom line is that water utility emergency planners need to account for this future reality now.  Most water system operators do not have the budgetary funds to harden their systems, so it’s going to be up to emergency planning personnel to figure out how to best mitigate the impacts of this inevitable future reality.