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Fact Sheet CLIMATE CHANGE Impacts on Water Utilities Climate Change Uncertainties Will Create Unprecedented Challenges Quick Facts • Climate change models predict an overall warming of the earth, increased evaporation and precipitation, rising sea levels, and increasing extreme events • Climate change will impact water quantity, water quality, operational reliability, and create financial and institutional challenges • Water utility operators will have to develop new treatment options and technologies to meet water quality standards, and unique approaches to meet the demand Overview Water utilities are rising to the challenge, developing Current scientific evidence suggests that climate change response strategies, forming coalitions, and raising is occurring and will continue into the foreseeable future. awareness among policy makers and government offi- Impacts can already be observed in changes to the qual- cials. There is a growing consensus in the United States ity and quantity of drinking water sources. Models predict to take action on climate change. Federal, state, and local an overall warming of the earth. Warmer temperatures are governments are responding with legislation to increase predicted to decrease dissolved oxygen levels, increase funding for climate change research and solutions. contamination load to water bodies, reduce stream and river flows, change timing of runoff, foster algal blooms, and increase the likelihood of saltwater intrusion along coasts. Climate Change Processes Controversy persists over the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, what is not waterrf.org Temperature Anomalies (ºC) as compared to long-term average 1901-2000 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.6 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Year Source: NOAA 2016b Figure 1. Global land and ocean temperature anomalies 35 30 250 Number of Events Number of Events CPI-adjusted Cost in Billions of Dollars Cost in Billions of Dollars CPI-adjusted 200 150 20 15 100 10 50 5 0 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Year Source: NOAA 2016a Figure 2. Billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the United States, 1980-2016 2 | Climate Change • Impacts on Water Utilities 0 Cost in Billions of Dollars Number of Events 25 controversial is the basic science behind the greenhouse effect, with data showing a sharp climatologic shift in recent decades. At the most fundamental level, the four main climate change processes can be summarized as follows. Increasing Temperature Over the past century, the global average temperature has increased 1.3°F (0.7°C) (Figure 1). One of the most As a result of climate change, many utilities may find themselves facing new water quality and quantity challenges relating to storage, sedimentation, nutrients, and pathogens. undisputed climate change predictions is that average temperatures will continue to rise. Estimates of the magnitude of this warming vary widely. However, 11 of the 12 Patterns of precipitation change are anticipated to be warmest years in 150 years of global surface temperature highly complex and variable; some regions will have more record-keeping have occurred since 1995. precipitation than currently, and others will have less. Increasing Evaporation and Precipitation Rising Sea Level Another highly certain climate change prediction is that The ocean has been absorbing more than 80% of the warmer temperatures will cause water to evaporate more heat added to the climate system. Warmer tempera- rapidly, increasing total precipitation on a global scale. tures will contribute to sea level rise, both through Climate Change Effects Possible Impacts On Water Utilities: Increase in atmospheric temperature Reduction in water availability in basins fed by glaciers that are shrinking, as observed in some cities along the Andes in South America Increase in surface water temperature • Reductions in dissolved oxygen content, mixing patterns, and self-purification capacity • Increase in algal blooms Sea level rise Salination of coastal aquifers Shifts in precipitation patterns Changes in water availability due to changes in precipitation and other related phenomena (e.g., groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration) Increase in interannual precipitation Increases the difficulty of flood control and reservoir utilization variability during the flooding season Increased evapotranspiration • Water availability reduction • Salinization of water resources • Lower groundwater levels More frequent and extreme weather events • Floods affect water quality and water infrastructure integrity • Floods also increase fluvial erosion, which introduces different kinds of pollutants to water resources • Droughts affect water availability and water quality Source: Bates et al. 2008 Climate Change • Impacts on Water Utilities | 3 References melting of polar ice, and expansion of water volume due to ocean warming. Estimates of sea level rise over the Bates, B., Z. W. Kundzewicz, S. Wu, and J. Palutikof, eds. coming century range from 0.6 to 1.9 ft. (0.2 to 0.6 m) 2008. Climate Change and Water: IPCC Technical (Solomon et al. 2007) Paper VI. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC Secretariat. Accessed July 10, 2013. https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/ Increasing Extreme Events Research suggests that climate change processes inten- technical-papers/climate-change-water-en.pdf. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric sify the hydrologic cycle, leading to more frequent and Administration) National Centers for Environmental intense climatological events like floods, droughts, and information. 2016a. “Billion-Dollar Weather and heat waves. Since 1980, the United States has experi- Climate Disasters: Table of Events.” Accessed August 3, enced 133 weather/climate disasters with losses exceed- 2016. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events. ing $1 billion, for a total exceeding $875 billion (Figure 2). ———. 2016b. “Climate at a Glance: Global Time Series.” Accessed July 26, 2016. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ Extreme events increase the risks of flooding, drought, erosion, turbidity, debris in reservoirs, nutrient- and pollu- cag/. Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, tion-loading, and wildfire. Surface runoff and groundwater K. B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H. L. Miller, eds. 2007. recharge rates will also be impacted, with the severity Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth ranging geographically from humid to semi-arid regions. Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, UK and New York: Water Utility Impacts Cambridge University Press. http://www.ipcc.ch/ publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/contents.html. While the impacts of climate change will vary widely by region, it is relatively certain that no area will be untouched. Potential climate change impacts on water utilities have been widely reported by the Water Research Foundation and many other organizations. Ultimately, utilities, like other enterprises, will be increasingly pressured (and perhaps required through regulation) to be as carbon-neutral as possible. Utilities may be expected to minimize energy consumption, turn to renewable energy sources, and optimize fleet efficiency. 4 | Climate Change • Impacts on Water Utilities Last updated October 2016