The Big Thirst, page 50
Seattle, Wash., 4, 137, 335, 343
semiconductors, see microchips
Senate, U.S., 84, 299
serpentine (mineral), 33, 37
sewage, 257
sewage systems, drinking water and, 6, 165, 237–38, 261–62
sewage treatment plants, see wastewater treatment plants
“sewer mining,” 140
sewers, 160, 230, 262
Shafer, Dick, 73
Shakespeare, William, water imagery of, 321–22
Sharks, in Las Vegas, 51, 53, 86
Sharma, Jyoti, 252–54, 256
Shatt al Arab river, 281, 365
sheep, 112–13, 171, 188, 216, 338, 350
Shiklomanov, Igor, 36–37, 324
showerheads, 118, 122, 142–43, 204, 309, 339, 345
Sichem Defender, 10, 318
Siegfried and Roy, 53
Sinatra, Frank, 103, 296
Singapore, 132, 162
NEWater program in, 158, 159, 346
smart water, 125, 130, 131–32, 303, 308–9
Smith, Adam, on value of water, 270, 275, 363
Smyth, Joseph, 37–38, 39
Snyder, Shane, 176, 177, 178, 351
Socrates, 275
solar energy, 131–32, 341
solar system, 28, 30, 322–23
Sonawane, Sharda, 263–64
Sonawane, Vandana, 263–64
Soni, Vikram, 221–23
Sonoran Desert, 184
South Australia, 113, 114, 116, 195–96, 274, 278, 354
permanent water sprinkler ban in, 171–72
South East Queensland Water Grid (Seqwater), 180
Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), 61–62, 69, 70–72, 84, 176, 328, 331, 332, 334, 363
incentive program of, 66, 68–69, 70, 340
South Queensland, University of, 149, 164, 347
space shuttle, 1, 316, 368
Specter, Arlen, 298–99, 309, 367
Spencer, Percy, 40–41, 325
Stahl, Lindsey, 46, 47–48
Stark, Dennis, 94
Starwood hotels, 265, 361
steel mills, and water use, 18, 320
Steenrod, Scott, 124, 125, 341
storm water runoff, 114–16
Stulbach, Juju, 139
Stuyvesant Town, 279
Sun Rice, 214
sustainability, 17–19, 130; see also recycled water
Swannell, Peter, 164
swimming pools, 53, 72, 170, 203, 332, 349
Sydney, Australia, 140, 147, 166, 167, 212, 344, 362
Sydney Sun-Herald, 113
Syria, 15
Taihu, Lake, 140, 344
Tampa Bay, Fla., 4, 205, 207, 353
Tanami Desert, 145–46
tap water, 24, 28, 133, 134, 135, 137, 225, 235, 237
concerns about safety of, 174–78, 298–99, 304–5, 309, 350
cost of, 8, 135, 318, 361
in-home filtering of, 177, 237
regulation of, 176, 342–43, 367
Tarragona, Spain, 10
television, 2, 109, 275, 338
Tennessee, 11, 73, 332; see also Orme, Tenn.
Tennessee River, 11, 73
Texas, 86, 97, 111; see also Galveston, Tex.
Thames Water utility, London, 228, 266, 279, 357, 362, 365
thirst, 141, 145–47, 300
“This Land Is Your Land,” 73
Thorley, Dianne “Mayor Di,” 150, 152–54, 157–58, 159, 160, 161, 162, 165, 178, 180–81, 346
tiered pricing, of water, 277–78, 290
Tigris River, 197, 281
Times of India, 227, 356–57
Titanic, 2
toilet flushes, 4–5, 13, 72, 305, 362, 373
toilets, dual-flush, 204, 212, 309–10
“toilet to tap” water, 17, 157; see also recycled water; Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Australia, 148–66, 168, 178–181, 185, 202, 206, 309, 346
Cooby Dam reservoir of, 156, 161
Cressbrook reservoir of, 159, 179
description of, 148–49, 345
prayer services in, 148, 149, 154
wastewater recycling plan for, 150–51, 152–54, 155–66, 178, 179, 180, 187
water infrastructure of, 154
water politics in, 152–54, 158–66, 172–74, 181, 186–87, 198, 203, 206
water scarcity in, 148, 149–50, 154–55, 166, 178, 187, 197, 210, 346
Wivenhoe-Cressbrook pipeline to, 178–80, 351
Toowoomba Chronicle, 153, 158
topless swimming pools, 53, 86
Traverse City, Mich., water rates in, 266, 277
Treasure Island hotel, 58, 62
turbulence, in water, 296
Turkey, 197
Tylenol, residue in water, 163, 174, 348
typhoid, 271
Uganda, 233
ultrafiltration, 156
micropollutants and, 162–64
ultra-pure water (UPW), 44–48, 125, 127, 128, 156
Unilever, 245, 246, 250
United Kingdom, 5, 228, 266
water leakage in, 303, 368
water use in, 5, 317
United States:
agriculture in, 21, 69, 184, 197, 267–69, 276, 277, 304, 320, 368–69
average water bill in, 8, 109, 266, 267, 276–78, 317, 338, 361–62
bottled water consumption in, 133–135, 136, 137, 138, 320, 342
desalination plants in, 205, 207
economic growth in, 226
gross domestic product (GDP) of, 21
health care crisis in, 302
indoor plumbing in, 109, 337–38
life expectancy in, 7, 299, 317
mortality rates in, 7
new construction in, and water, 306
per-capita water use in, 7–8, 13, 22, 90
public schools in, 259
total water use in, 4–5, 21–22, 35, 316, 323
water infrastructure costs in, 109, 135, 235, 343
water leakage in, 5–6, 303, 317
water politics in, 173
water purity in, 174–78, 298–99, 304, 342, 309, 350–51
urban runoff, 114–16
used water, see recycled water
USGS, see Geological Survey, U.S.
UV radiation, 47, 65, 126, 156
value of water, versus price, 144, 270, 275; see also economics of water
Van Staden, Jacques, 124
Vasudevan, Mukund, 251–52
Venetian hotel, 53, 57
Venezuela, 15
Victoria, Australia, 170, 350
Vietnam, 233
virtual water, 18, 67
volcanoes, water from, 37–38
Voyager 2 spacecraft, 322–23
Wade, Brandon, 93, 103
Wal-Mart, 40, 103, 130
washing machines, 63–64, 113, 123, 339
Washington, D.C., 273, 274, 364
Washington, University of, 201, 202
wastewater, 99, 305, 336–37
micropollutants in, 175–76
reused, 67, 71, 72, 86, 155–56, 180, 305
wastewater treatment plants, 89, 90, 99–100, 111, 230, 343
advanced (AWTP), 155–56, 161, 163, 180
bacteria for, 99–100, 336–37
water:
access to, worldwide, 12–13, 136, 138, 223–26, 290–91, 300
age of, 28–29
as basic human right, 290
beauty of, 1–2, 25–26, 49–50, 194–95, 293–94, 310–11
bottled, see bottled water
consumption, see water statistics
cost of, see water bills; economics of water
creation of, 29–32, 38–39
forms of, 32–35, 37–38
as $400 billion-a-year business, 131
as “genesis ingredient,” 44
golden age of, 3–6, 7–9, 14, 23–24, 131, 279, 289–90, 303, 304, 309
human daily requirements of, 13, 16–17, 243, 319, 359–60
human relationship to, 2, 3, 6, 8–9, 22–24, 25–27, 28, 50, 117, 133, 136, 143–44, 157, 160, 164, 165, 172, 174, 189–90, 192–93, 209–10, 230–32, 266–67, 286, 289–92, 297–298, 306–9, 310–13, 321–22; see also water consciousness; water culture
importance of, 2–3, 43–44, 291
insulating properties of, 42, 43
invisibility of, 3–4, 7–9, 24, 234
myths about, 26–27, 32, 309
natural purification of, 17–18
ostentatious display of, 53–54
permanence of, 17–19, 313
personality of, 16, 25–26, 41, 48–50, 293–94, 298, 313
as price inelastic, 274, 275–76, 364
price sensitivity and, 272–74, 275–77
pricing of, 8, 23, 136, 143–44, 193, 210, 265–92, 361–62; see also water bills
proposed market system for, 280–87
purification of, 44–48; see also recycled water; water treatment plants
qualities of, 2, 16–19, 41–44, 47, 48–50, 296–97, 313
recycled, see recycled water
resilience of, 16–19
as sacred in India, 230–32, 233
Shakespeare references to, 321–22
as solvent, 43, 45, 47
temperature change and, 42
territorial protectiveness about, 85
total amount of, 32, 35–36, 322–23
trading in, 286–87
versatility of, 1–3, 19, 25–26, 41, 44, 48–50
walking to supply, 13, 20, 220, 225, 240–44, 246, 248, 290–91, 360
wasting of, 5–6, 20, 189, 224, 232, 303–4
Water: A Comprehensive Treatise (Franks, ed.), 307–8
water anxiety, see water insecurity
water bills, 8, 109, 122, 126, 127, 129, 135, 210, 233, 262, 266–67, 271, 272–73, 276–77, 317, 338, 361–62
water complacency, 5–6, 9, 24, 74, 131, 203, 303
in Atlanta, 74–76, 79–80
water conflict, 20
urban vs. rural in, 169, 187–88, 192–93, 194
see also Toowoomba; water politics; water scarcity
water consciousness, 117, 121, 122–23, 125, 126, 127, 129, 141, 157, 189, 231
water conservation, 118, 121, 124–25, 130, 231, 302
in Atlanta, 78–80
at IBM Burlington, 126, 128–29
in Las Vegas, 63, 70–72, 83
in Perth, 204, 209, 211–12
see also recycled water
Water Corporation, Australia, 198–209, 210–12, 273–74
water culture, 306–9
in Australia, 166, 168–70, 171–72, 189, 192–93, 209, 210–12, 354
in India, 221–23, 228–29, 230–33, 239–44, 245–50, 251–52, 259, 263–64
in Las Vegas, 51–54, 56, 62–63, 70–71, 73, 83
in Perth, 203–4, 208–9, 210–12, 302
see also water, human relationship to
water cycle, 35–36, 37, 323
water envy, 189–90, 193–94, 215–16
water footprint, 18
water illiteracy, 9, 138, 300, 309
Water in Crisis (Gleick, ed.), 36–37
water infrastructure, 24, 84–85, 96–97, 109, 251–52, 290, 291–92
cost of maintaining, 20, 81–82, 109, 233, 235, 273, 274, 343
cost of rebuilding, 110–11, 166–67, 179–80
cross-contamination of sewage and, 237–38, 256, 261–62
failures of, 101–103
in India, 223–24, 233, 235, 259, 260–63
intelligent networks for, 130–31
lack of resilience of, 102–3, 209–10
leakage in, 5–6, 134, 233, 234, 237–38, 250, 270–71, 303, 317, 342, 368
and price differences, 277
water insecurity, 114, 141
corporate response to, 117
water management, 18, 23, 84, 142, 215, 285, 354
Atlanta’s lack of, 74–75, 83, 102, 234, 303
cascading benefits of, 65, 68
corporate, 117–32
by IBM, 129–32
India’s lack of, 224, 234, 250, 259
in Las Vegas, 56, 58, 59–60, 65, 82, 234, 306
water-mark, 5, 9
water molecules, 29, 31, 41, 322, 356
properties of, 41–42, 43, 49
size of, 31, 43–44, 46, 47, 326
water pipes, cost of replacing, 109
cross-contamination of, 237–38, 256, 261–62
water politics, 23, 85, 86, 173, 282, 286
in Atlanta, 73, 74, 75–76, 78–80
in Australia, 152–53, 161–62, 166, 273
and cost of, 272–73, 282
in India, 231–33
in Perth, 198, 203–7, 208–9
science vs. perception in, 152, 162–65, 173–74
in Toowoomba, 152–54, 158–66, 172–74, 181, 186–87, 198, 203, 206
water poverty, 13, 20, 218–21, 225–26, 233, 246–50, 290–91, 359
U.N. report on, 318–19, 359
water problems, as local, 19–20, 301–2
water productivity, 117, 120, 286, 303, 340–41
in agriculture, 232, 303–4, 369
of Coca-Cola, 120
of IBM, 129, 340–41
of Intel, 119–20, 340
in U.S. economy, 21–22, 303–4
water recycling, see recycled water
water regulation, 70–71, 142, 149–50, 168–70
water scarcity, 9, 18, 20, 23, 188, 189, 190, 193, 289, 301
in Australia, 114, 148, 149–52, 154, 166–174, 187, 192, 198, 212
economic impact of, 151, 166, 167, 171, 187
as public policy issue, 152, 153
water slavery, 221, 291
water statistics (page numbers are to easiest reference; pages in source notes include note citation)
access to water, people without, worldwide, 13
age of water on Earth, 28
Bellagio, Fountains of, water use, 69
bottled water, total spending on, U.S., 133
bottled water, total consumption, U.S., 134
Campbell Soup, water required per can of tomato soup, 306
carrots, water required to raise 3-pound bag, 268
children who die from water-related illnesses, 13
cost of water, U.S. home, 317n14
Coca-Cola, water required per liter of soda, 120
Coca-Cola, total water use, 120, 340n10
diarrhea, cost of to economy of India, 223
dinosaur, urine volume from, 17
Earth, total surface water volume of, 32, 322n2
electricity, water required to generate, per capita, U.S., 2
electricity, water required to generate, total, U.S., 5
evaporation, total into atmosphere, 35
food, water required to raise, per calorie, 366n23
golf, water required per 18-hole round, Las Vegas, 67
hotel room, water required to launder linens, Las Vegas, 64
human beings, daily minimum water required, 13
human beings, total water consumed in history, 16–17
human beings, total water contained inside all, 36
human beings, water content of, 3
indoor plumbing, percent of homes with, U.S., 109, 337n17
infrastructure spending, total U.S. on water, 135
living creatures, total water contained inside all on Earth, 36
men, water content of, 3
nuclear power plant, water required to cool, 18–19
rainfall, gallons of water in 1 inch of rain, 35
space shuttle, water required to launch, 1
steel, water required to manufacture, 18
toilet flushing, water use by, U.S., 4–5
volcanic eruption, percent of water in cloud, 38
walk, people who must to fetch water, worldwide, 240
women, water content of, 3
water loss by utilities, worldwide, 303
water use, Las Vegas, 58, 331n21, 334n45
water use, New York City, 346n13
water use, U.S. total, 21, 316n2
water use, U.S. per capita, 7
water use, U.S., water productivity doubled relative to GDP, 21
Water Stewardship Act (Georgia, 2010), 78–80
water tankers, 218–21, 239, 253, 262
water treatment plants, 6–7, 109; see also wastewater treatment plants
water utilities, 54, 74, 96–97, 228, 232–34, 238
bills from, see water bills
electricity use by, 276–77, 365
lack of resilience in, 102–3, 209–10
outsourcing for efficiency, 262–63
water loss in, see water infrastructure, leakage in
water treatment by, 6–7, 109, 177
water walk, see water, walking to supply
“Water Your Body,” 299–300
Wealth of Nations, The (Smith), 270, 275
weather, 2, 32; see also climate change; drought
wells, 7, 61, 63, 201, 204, 224, 244, 247–48, 254, 255–56
Western Australia, 168, 198–203, 205, 206–7
normal rainfall in, 199–203
WET Design, 52, 293, 294–98, 367
wetlands, water-filtering, 114, 115
Whole Foods, 133, 341
Williams, Sam, 78
Wilson, Eric, 88, 92–96, 98, 103, 104, 107–8, 110–11, 336
windshield washers, 143
Wipro, 228, 260, 357
Wivenhoe reservoir, Australia, 179, 180
Wolfenden, Richard, 25, 27–28
women:
education of, 20, 225, 227, 240, 245, 246–50
management of water systems by, 354
water content of, 3, 316, 360
Wong, Penny, 166, 348, 354
Woods, Jarman, 146
wool, 112–13, 216, 338
scouring of (cleaning), 112–14, 115, 116, 122
Wooten, James, 106–7
World Health Organization, 13, 355
Wynn, Steve, 58, 62, 70
xeriscaping, 67–68
Yamuna River, India, 230–31, 233, 256–58, 259, 358, 361
Yarragadee Aquifer, 204, 205–7
Young, Mike, 215, 265, 278–87, 290, 291, 365
Young, Ross, 172
YouTube, 297, 344, 367
yuck factor, recycled water and, 145, 160, 164, 165, 172
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a reporter, Charles Fishman has tried to get inside organizations, both familiar and secret, and explain how they work. Fishman’s previous book, the New York Times bestseller The Wal-Mart Effect, was the first to crack open Wal-Mart’s wall of secrecy, and has become the standard for understanding Wal-Mart’s impact on our economy and on how we live. The Economist named it a Book of the Year.
In the course of reporting about water, Fishman has stood at the bottom of a half-million-gallon sewage tank, sampled water directly from the springs in San Pellegrino in Italy and Poland Spring in Maine, and carried water on his head for three kilometers (more than a mile and a half) with a group of Indian villagers.
semiconductors, see microchips
Senate, U.S., 84, 299
serpentine (mineral), 33, 37
sewage, 257
sewage systems, drinking water and, 6, 165, 237–38, 261–62
sewage treatment plants, see wastewater treatment plants
“sewer mining,” 140
sewers, 160, 230, 262
Shafer, Dick, 73
Shakespeare, William, water imagery of, 321–22
Sharks, in Las Vegas, 51, 53, 86
Sharma, Jyoti, 252–54, 256
Shatt al Arab river, 281, 365
sheep, 112–13, 171, 188, 216, 338, 350
Shiklomanov, Igor, 36–37, 324
showerheads, 118, 122, 142–43, 204, 309, 339, 345
Sichem Defender, 10, 318
Siegfried and Roy, 53
Sinatra, Frank, 103, 296
Singapore, 132, 162
NEWater program in, 158, 159, 346
smart water, 125, 130, 131–32, 303, 308–9
Smith, Adam, on value of water, 270, 275, 363
Smyth, Joseph, 37–38, 39
Snyder, Shane, 176, 177, 178, 351
Socrates, 275
solar energy, 131–32, 341
solar system, 28, 30, 322–23
Sonawane, Sharda, 263–64
Sonawane, Vandana, 263–64
Soni, Vikram, 221–23
Sonoran Desert, 184
South Australia, 113, 114, 116, 195–96, 274, 278, 354
permanent water sprinkler ban in, 171–72
South East Queensland Water Grid (Seqwater), 180
Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), 61–62, 69, 70–72, 84, 176, 328, 331, 332, 334, 363
incentive program of, 66, 68–69, 70, 340
South Queensland, University of, 149, 164, 347
space shuttle, 1, 316, 368
Specter, Arlen, 298–99, 309, 367
Spencer, Percy, 40–41, 325
Stahl, Lindsey, 46, 47–48
Stark, Dennis, 94
Starwood hotels, 265, 361
steel mills, and water use, 18, 320
Steenrod, Scott, 124, 125, 341
storm water runoff, 114–16
Stulbach, Juju, 139
Stuyvesant Town, 279
Sun Rice, 214
sustainability, 17–19, 130; see also recycled water
Swannell, Peter, 164
swimming pools, 53, 72, 170, 203, 332, 349
Sydney, Australia, 140, 147, 166, 167, 212, 344, 362
Sydney Sun-Herald, 113
Syria, 15
Taihu, Lake, 140, 344
Tampa Bay, Fla., 4, 205, 207, 353
Tanami Desert, 145–46
tap water, 24, 28, 133, 134, 135, 137, 225, 235, 237
concerns about safety of, 174–78, 298–99, 304–5, 309, 350
cost of, 8, 135, 318, 361
in-home filtering of, 177, 237
regulation of, 176, 342–43, 367
Tarragona, Spain, 10
television, 2, 109, 275, 338
Tennessee, 11, 73, 332; see also Orme, Tenn.
Tennessee River, 11, 73
Texas, 86, 97, 111; see also Galveston, Tex.
Thames Water utility, London, 228, 266, 279, 357, 362, 365
thirst, 141, 145–47, 300
“This Land Is Your Land,” 73
Thorley, Dianne “Mayor Di,” 150, 152–54, 157–58, 159, 160, 161, 162, 165, 178, 180–81, 346
tiered pricing, of water, 277–78, 290
Tigris River, 197, 281
Times of India, 227, 356–57
Titanic, 2
toilet flushes, 4–5, 13, 72, 305, 362, 373
toilets, dual-flush, 204, 212, 309–10
“toilet to tap” water, 17, 157; see also recycled water; Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Australia, 148–66, 168, 178–181, 185, 202, 206, 309, 346
Cooby Dam reservoir of, 156, 161
Cressbrook reservoir of, 159, 179
description of, 148–49, 345
prayer services in, 148, 149, 154
wastewater recycling plan for, 150–51, 152–54, 155–66, 178, 179, 180, 187
water infrastructure of, 154
water politics in, 152–54, 158–66, 172–74, 181, 186–87, 198, 203, 206
water scarcity in, 148, 149–50, 154–55, 166, 178, 187, 197, 210, 346
Wivenhoe-Cressbrook pipeline to, 178–80, 351
Toowoomba Chronicle, 153, 158
topless swimming pools, 53, 86
Traverse City, Mich., water rates in, 266, 277
Treasure Island hotel, 58, 62
turbulence, in water, 296
Turkey, 197
Tylenol, residue in water, 163, 174, 348
typhoid, 271
Uganda, 233
ultrafiltration, 156
micropollutants and, 162–64
ultra-pure water (UPW), 44–48, 125, 127, 128, 156
Unilever, 245, 246, 250
United Kingdom, 5, 228, 266
water leakage in, 303, 368
water use in, 5, 317
United States:
agriculture in, 21, 69, 184, 197, 267–69, 276, 277, 304, 320, 368–69
average water bill in, 8, 109, 266, 267, 276–78, 317, 338, 361–62
bottled water consumption in, 133–135, 136, 137, 138, 320, 342
desalination plants in, 205, 207
economic growth in, 226
gross domestic product (GDP) of, 21
health care crisis in, 302
indoor plumbing in, 109, 337–38
life expectancy in, 7, 299, 317
mortality rates in, 7
new construction in, and water, 306
per-capita water use in, 7–8, 13, 22, 90
public schools in, 259
total water use in, 4–5, 21–22, 35, 316, 323
water infrastructure costs in, 109, 135, 235, 343
water leakage in, 5–6, 303, 317
water politics in, 173
water purity in, 174–78, 298–99, 304, 342, 309, 350–51
urban runoff, 114–16
used water, see recycled water
USGS, see Geological Survey, U.S.
UV radiation, 47, 65, 126, 156
value of water, versus price, 144, 270, 275; see also economics of water
Van Staden, Jacques, 124
Vasudevan, Mukund, 251–52
Venetian hotel, 53, 57
Venezuela, 15
Victoria, Australia, 170, 350
Vietnam, 233
virtual water, 18, 67
volcanoes, water from, 37–38
Voyager 2 spacecraft, 322–23
Wade, Brandon, 93, 103
Wal-Mart, 40, 103, 130
washing machines, 63–64, 113, 123, 339
Washington, D.C., 273, 274, 364
Washington, University of, 201, 202
wastewater, 99, 305, 336–37
micropollutants in, 175–76
reused, 67, 71, 72, 86, 155–56, 180, 305
wastewater treatment plants, 89, 90, 99–100, 111, 230, 343
advanced (AWTP), 155–56, 161, 163, 180
bacteria for, 99–100, 336–37
water:
access to, worldwide, 12–13, 136, 138, 223–26, 290–91, 300
age of, 28–29
as basic human right, 290
beauty of, 1–2, 25–26, 49–50, 194–95, 293–94, 310–11
bottled, see bottled water
consumption, see water statistics
cost of, see water bills; economics of water
creation of, 29–32, 38–39
forms of, 32–35, 37–38
as $400 billion-a-year business, 131
as “genesis ingredient,” 44
golden age of, 3–6, 7–9, 14, 23–24, 131, 279, 289–90, 303, 304, 309
human daily requirements of, 13, 16–17, 243, 319, 359–60
human relationship to, 2, 3, 6, 8–9, 22–24, 25–27, 28, 50, 117, 133, 136, 143–44, 157, 160, 164, 165, 172, 174, 189–90, 192–93, 209–10, 230–32, 266–67, 286, 289–92, 297–298, 306–9, 310–13, 321–22; see also water consciousness; water culture
importance of, 2–3, 43–44, 291
insulating properties of, 42, 43
invisibility of, 3–4, 7–9, 24, 234
myths about, 26–27, 32, 309
natural purification of, 17–18
ostentatious display of, 53–54
permanence of, 17–19, 313
personality of, 16, 25–26, 41, 48–50, 293–94, 298, 313
as price inelastic, 274, 275–76, 364
price sensitivity and, 272–74, 275–77
pricing of, 8, 23, 136, 143–44, 193, 210, 265–92, 361–62; see also water bills
proposed market system for, 280–87
purification of, 44–48; see also recycled water; water treatment plants
qualities of, 2, 16–19, 41–44, 47, 48–50, 296–97, 313
recycled, see recycled water
resilience of, 16–19
as sacred in India, 230–32, 233
Shakespeare references to, 321–22
as solvent, 43, 45, 47
temperature change and, 42
territorial protectiveness about, 85
total amount of, 32, 35–36, 322–23
trading in, 286–87
versatility of, 1–3, 19, 25–26, 41, 44, 48–50
walking to supply, 13, 20, 220, 225, 240–44, 246, 248, 290–91, 360
wasting of, 5–6, 20, 189, 224, 232, 303–4
Water: A Comprehensive Treatise (Franks, ed.), 307–8
water anxiety, see water insecurity
water bills, 8, 109, 122, 126, 127, 129, 135, 210, 233, 262, 266–67, 271, 272–73, 276–77, 317, 338, 361–62
water complacency, 5–6, 9, 24, 74, 131, 203, 303
in Atlanta, 74–76, 79–80
water conflict, 20
urban vs. rural in, 169, 187–88, 192–93, 194
see also Toowoomba; water politics; water scarcity
water consciousness, 117, 121, 122–23, 125, 126, 127, 129, 141, 157, 189, 231
water conservation, 118, 121, 124–25, 130, 231, 302
in Atlanta, 78–80
at IBM Burlington, 126, 128–29
in Las Vegas, 63, 70–72, 83
in Perth, 204, 209, 211–12
see also recycled water
Water Corporation, Australia, 198–209, 210–12, 273–74
water culture, 306–9
in Australia, 166, 168–70, 171–72, 189, 192–93, 209, 210–12, 354
in India, 221–23, 228–29, 230–33, 239–44, 245–50, 251–52, 259, 263–64
in Las Vegas, 51–54, 56, 62–63, 70–71, 73, 83
in Perth, 203–4, 208–9, 210–12, 302
see also water, human relationship to
water cycle, 35–36, 37, 323
water envy, 189–90, 193–94, 215–16
water footprint, 18
water illiteracy, 9, 138, 300, 309
Water in Crisis (Gleick, ed.), 36–37
water infrastructure, 24, 84–85, 96–97, 109, 251–52, 290, 291–92
cost of maintaining, 20, 81–82, 109, 233, 235, 273, 274, 343
cost of rebuilding, 110–11, 166–67, 179–80
cross-contamination of sewage and, 237–38, 256, 261–62
failures of, 101–103
in India, 223–24, 233, 235, 259, 260–63
intelligent networks for, 130–31
lack of resilience of, 102–3, 209–10
leakage in, 5–6, 134, 233, 234, 237–38, 250, 270–71, 303, 317, 342, 368
and price differences, 277
water insecurity, 114, 141
corporate response to, 117
water management, 18, 23, 84, 142, 215, 285, 354
Atlanta’s lack of, 74–75, 83, 102, 234, 303
cascading benefits of, 65, 68
corporate, 117–32
by IBM, 129–32
India’s lack of, 224, 234, 250, 259
in Las Vegas, 56, 58, 59–60, 65, 82, 234, 306
water-mark, 5, 9
water molecules, 29, 31, 41, 322, 356
properties of, 41–42, 43, 49
size of, 31, 43–44, 46, 47, 326
water pipes, cost of replacing, 109
cross-contamination of, 237–38, 256, 261–62
water politics, 23, 85, 86, 173, 282, 286
in Atlanta, 73, 74, 75–76, 78–80
in Australia, 152–53, 161–62, 166, 273
and cost of, 272–73, 282
in India, 231–33
in Perth, 198, 203–7, 208–9
science vs. perception in, 152, 162–65, 173–74
in Toowoomba, 152–54, 158–66, 172–74, 181, 186–87, 198, 203, 206
water poverty, 13, 20, 218–21, 225–26, 233, 246–50, 290–91, 359
U.N. report on, 318–19, 359
water problems, as local, 19–20, 301–2
water productivity, 117, 120, 286, 303, 340–41
in agriculture, 232, 303–4, 369
of Coca-Cola, 120
of IBM, 129, 340–41
of Intel, 119–20, 340
in U.S. economy, 21–22, 303–4
water recycling, see recycled water
water regulation, 70–71, 142, 149–50, 168–70
water scarcity, 9, 18, 20, 23, 188, 189, 190, 193, 289, 301
in Australia, 114, 148, 149–52, 154, 166–174, 187, 192, 198, 212
economic impact of, 151, 166, 167, 171, 187
as public policy issue, 152, 153
water slavery, 221, 291
water statistics (page numbers are to easiest reference; pages in source notes include note citation)
access to water, people without, worldwide, 13
age of water on Earth, 28
Bellagio, Fountains of, water use, 69
bottled water, total spending on, U.S., 133
bottled water, total consumption, U.S., 134
Campbell Soup, water required per can of tomato soup, 306
carrots, water required to raise 3-pound bag, 268
children who die from water-related illnesses, 13
cost of water, U.S. home, 317n14
Coca-Cola, water required per liter of soda, 120
Coca-Cola, total water use, 120, 340n10
diarrhea, cost of to economy of India, 223
dinosaur, urine volume from, 17
Earth, total surface water volume of, 32, 322n2
electricity, water required to generate, per capita, U.S., 2
electricity, water required to generate, total, U.S., 5
evaporation, total into atmosphere, 35
food, water required to raise, per calorie, 366n23
golf, water required per 18-hole round, Las Vegas, 67
hotel room, water required to launder linens, Las Vegas, 64
human beings, daily minimum water required, 13
human beings, total water consumed in history, 16–17
human beings, total water contained inside all, 36
human beings, water content of, 3
indoor plumbing, percent of homes with, U.S., 109, 337n17
infrastructure spending, total U.S. on water, 135
living creatures, total water contained inside all on Earth, 36
men, water content of, 3
nuclear power plant, water required to cool, 18–19
rainfall, gallons of water in 1 inch of rain, 35
space shuttle, water required to launch, 1
steel, water required to manufacture, 18
toilet flushing, water use by, U.S., 4–5
volcanic eruption, percent of water in cloud, 38
walk, people who must to fetch water, worldwide, 240
women, water content of, 3
water loss by utilities, worldwide, 303
water use, Las Vegas, 58, 331n21, 334n45
water use, New York City, 346n13
water use, U.S. total, 21, 316n2
water use, U.S. per capita, 7
water use, U.S., water productivity doubled relative to GDP, 21
Water Stewardship Act (Georgia, 2010), 78–80
water tankers, 218–21, 239, 253, 262
water treatment plants, 6–7, 109; see also wastewater treatment plants
water utilities, 54, 74, 96–97, 228, 232–34, 238
bills from, see water bills
electricity use by, 276–77, 365
lack of resilience in, 102–3, 209–10
outsourcing for efficiency, 262–63
water loss in, see water infrastructure, leakage in
water treatment by, 6–7, 109, 177
water walk, see water, walking to supply
“Water Your Body,” 299–300
Wealth of Nations, The (Smith), 270, 275
weather, 2, 32; see also climate change; drought
wells, 7, 61, 63, 201, 204, 224, 244, 247–48, 254, 255–56
Western Australia, 168, 198–203, 205, 206–7
normal rainfall in, 199–203
WET Design, 52, 293, 294–98, 367
wetlands, water-filtering, 114, 115
Whole Foods, 133, 341
Williams, Sam, 78
Wilson, Eric, 88, 92–96, 98, 103, 104, 107–8, 110–11, 336
windshield washers, 143
Wipro, 228, 260, 357
Wivenhoe reservoir, Australia, 179, 180
Wolfenden, Richard, 25, 27–28
women:
education of, 20, 225, 227, 240, 245, 246–50
management of water systems by, 354
water content of, 3, 316, 360
Wong, Penny, 166, 348, 354
Woods, Jarman, 146
wool, 112–13, 216, 338
scouring of (cleaning), 112–14, 115, 116, 122
Wooten, James, 106–7
World Health Organization, 13, 355
Wynn, Steve, 58, 62, 70
xeriscaping, 67–68
Yamuna River, India, 230–31, 233, 256–58, 259, 358, 361
Yarragadee Aquifer, 204, 205–7
Young, Mike, 215, 265, 278–87, 290, 291, 365
Young, Ross, 172
YouTube, 297, 344, 367
yuck factor, recycled water and, 145, 160, 164, 165, 172
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a reporter, Charles Fishman has tried to get inside organizations, both familiar and secret, and explain how they work. Fishman’s previous book, the New York Times bestseller The Wal-Mart Effect, was the first to crack open Wal-Mart’s wall of secrecy, and has become the standard for understanding Wal-Mart’s impact on our economy and on how we live. The Economist named it a Book of the Year.
In the course of reporting about water, Fishman has stood at the bottom of a half-million-gallon sewage tank, sampled water directly from the springs in San Pellegrino in Italy and Poland Spring in Maine, and carried water on his head for three kilometers (more than a mile and a half) with a group of Indian villagers.
