According to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, at least 36 states expect to face water shortages within the next five years. Experts quote phenomenon such as population growth and “unwise agricultural choices” to explain these water shortages. As a result, industries are faced with unprecedented challenges as water is vital to most processes while residents are asked to ration water in states such as California, Georgia, Florida, and Arizona.

Many say that water shortages have already had a devastating impact for some industries and regions. For instance, water shortages were at the root of the aluminum industry leaving the Northwestern United States in 2000-2001, while water scarcity is estimated to cost $24 billion annually in lost industrial output in China.

Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office