Why Is Water Too Cheap?

Water is the most basic human need. It is also a renewable natural resource. But does that mean our tap water should be free? No. Should it even be cheap? Maybe not. Although water is the fastest rising utility cost in the U.S., in many cities, potable tap is still priced dangerously below its value.

Why do cities keep water costs so low? Because water is a fundamental human need and people will die without it, so affordable drinking water is a matter of public health. Cities subsidize water costs so no one dies from lack of water in America, but it is a double-edged sword.

The low cost has historically caused Americans to assume water is – and should be – basically free. We’ve adopted a “drive it like you stole it” mentality of “run it like it’ll never run out”. In even the driest states, drinkable water is used to flush toilets and wash cars, with little awareness of its true value.

It is essential for water to be affordable, but low cost does not equal low value.

If people knew where their water came from and how much work it took to get from the source to their tap, would they manage their water use more consciously? I think so. Does anyone really believe a public agency can pump, capture, retain, treat, and transport a thousand gallons of water, then send you a bill and collect the bill and do all of that for five dollars? No way. They just don’t realize that is what goes on behind the scenes.

Water deserves to be managed. It is our most precious resource and it is being depleted much faster than it can be replenished. It is up to all of us in the know to inspire better water management. Will you help me spread this message?

~Mike Mason, CEO of Weathermatic

This was written by Weathermatic CEO Mike Mason, who, after a mission trip to El Salvador was faced with the reality of the global water crisis and came home ready to make a change in the highly inefficient irrigation industry. Mason committed to providing tech-based solutions to increase efficiency in irrigation, as well as forming Weathermatic’s Save Water | Give Life program.