Water Scarcity
Water is essential for agriculture, sanitation, industry, recreation, energy, and maintaining natural ecosystems. Although scarcity is commonly considered a problem for Western states, water sources are being depleted across the country as demand grows.
Overview
Water is essential for agriculture, sanitation, industry, recreation, energy and maintaining natural ecosystems. It is often considered a limitless resource. But as climate change alters the patterns of rainfall, snowfall, and runoff, water scarcity looms over nearly half of the United States. Although scarcity is commonly considered a problem for Western states, wells have been running dry across the country. Nonrenewable groundwater stores are being depleted, particularly in urban areas where the water supply is stretched to meet growing demand.
Key Facts
Total water use in the US is actually decreasing – but it still far outpaces current supply.
Drought is intensifying across the US, with almost two-thirds of states experiencing some level of drought.
Some parts of the Southwest are experiencing the worst dry periods going back more than 1,000 years - and the drought is getting worse.
Current Legislation
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| SB3422: DNR-Healthy Forests GrantsView Source | Illinois | IL Rep. Daniel "Dan" Didech (D-IL-059), IL Sen. Rachel Ventura (D-IL-043) | Water | Water Scarcity | Enacted | |
| AB2026: Water diversion: groundwater recharge: permit.View Source | California | CA Assemb. Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-CA-004) | Water | Water Scarcity | Passed Original Chamber | |
| H.B.2988: Environment and natural resources; Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act; pilot program; definitions; fund; effective date.View Source | Oklahoma | OK Rep. Mike Dobrinski (R-OK-059) | Wildlife, Water | Invasive Species, Water Scarcity | Passed Second Chamber | |
| SB84: School Water Management ProgramView Source | New Mexico | NM Sen. Michael Padilla (D-NM-014) | Water, Land, Energy | Outdoor Engagement, Water Scarcity | Outdoor & Environmental Learning | Introduced or Prefiled |
| SB1742: rural groundwater management areas; establishment.View Source | Arizona | AZ Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D-AZ-018) | Water | Water Scarcity | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SB1388: aquifer management; conservation; priorityView Source | Arizona | AZ Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D-AZ-018) | Water | Water Scarcity | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HCR6003: recognizing the importance of conservation and restoration practices in addressing water shortages and forest fire mitigation in the Black Hills, and commending the organizations engaged in this work.View Source | South Dakota | SD Rep. Nicole Uhre-Balk (D-SD-032), SD Sen. Tim Reed (R-SD-007) | Water | Water Scarcity | Passed Second Chamber | |
| HB0731: An act relating to the water quality of the StateView Source | Vermont | VT Rep. Amy Sheldon (D-VT-001) | Water | Sustainable Agriculture & Water , Water Scarcity | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HF8: Wetland Conservation Act determination efficiency improved, permitting efficiency reporting requirements modified, permit application process improved, Pollution Control Agency required to issue separate permits, expedited permitting process modified, petitioners required to reside in affected or adjoining counties, and money appropriated.View Source | Minnesota | MN Rep. Josh Heintzeman (R-MN-006B) | Water | Water Scarcity | Out of Committee | |
| SF577: Efficiency improvement of Wetland Conservation Act determinationsView Source | Minnesota | MN Former Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-MN-006), MN Sen. Jordan Rasmusson (R-MN-009) | Water | Water Scarcity | Introduced or Prefiled |
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Related Resources
Water Briefing Book
Climate change is altering the patterns of rainfall, snowfall and runoff, which creates challenges for existing water infrastructure developed with outdated assumptions. Population growth and demographic changes concentrate people in places that are often vulnerable to drought or flood, particularly impacting regions that produce food and energy. At the same time, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources rely on water, and if healthy environments are to persist, states must accommodate their needs through innovative policy solutions. These challenges combine to create a growing policy imperative to make best use of water resources and to ensure that future growth and development is water-efficient and takes into account natural resources needs. This briefing book addresses potential state legislative options to address water scarcity in one major area: water for people.
Online Resources
Integrated Water Resource Management focuses on the water cycle as a single connected system and promotes coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources to maximize the economic and social benefits while minimizing impacts on the environment.
The U.S. Drought Portal gives information to agencies and communities on the risk and impact of droughts, explains how to plan for and manage droughts, and provides a forum to discuss drought-related issues.
The Alliance for Water Efficiency is a nonprofit organization which looks to support and enhance water conservation by educating water users, auditing water waste, and discovering which products, practices, and programs work.
The Water Reuse Action plan describes over 200 ways to reduce water waste, from opening state forums to discuss water reuse to auditing water waste in meatpacking plants.
Water Scarcity and Environmental Justice
As climate change continues to alter patterns of rainfall and groundwater continues to be depleted, it is important for states to respond in a manner that accounts for the ways drought and inadequate water infrastructure can worsen injustices faced by disproportionately impacted communities.
The Importance of Equity
State drought-mitigation policies that do not incorporate an explicit focus on equity can further contribute to conditions of environmental injustice by disproportionately placing the burdens of water scarcity on the lowest income and most ethnically diverse communities. (sciencedirect.com)
Displacement and Decline
Climate-change-fueled droughts are already having disparate impacts on various human communities including drastically decreasing water supplies in many Indigenous communities that are already located on marginal lands due to settler colonial policies, as well as driving trends of displacement and migration from Central American countries. (nytimes.com)
Disparate Impacts on the Elderly
Older residents (over age 65) are among the most vulnerable to prolonged heat, yet they make up a larger share of the population in warmer areas of the United States which are likely to face extended droughts and heatwaves in the future. (climatechange.chicago.gov)
News & Events
2026 Energy Affordability Leaders Summit
Join NEC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from December 6-9 for a convening of energy affordability leaders.
2026 MRLC Forum Recap
State legislators from across seven states convened in Jackson, Mississippi, for the 2026 Mississippi River Legislative Caucus (MRLC) Forum, where they explored how to support one of the most economically and socially consequential waterways.
Legislators from 43 States and Territories Oppose USDA’s Effort to Rescind the “Roadless Rule”
A bipartisan group of 232 state legislators from 43 states and territories submitted a formal comment letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opposing the proposed rescission of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (the “Roadless Rule”).
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