Abstract |
In addition to furnishing quantitative information showing water use, water availability, and amount of storage which will be required to maintain certain rates of riverflow, the report identifies and discusses water problems in six major areas; namely, supply, variability, distribution, natural quality, manmade pollution, and floods. The report indicates that almost every part of the United States faces current or potential water problems. The present water use of about 250 billion gallons of fresh water a day is estimated to reach about 600 billion gallons a day by 1980. However, less than a third of the water used at present is consumed, and with proper attention to pollution abatement the same water can be used over and over again. With a manageable supply of water of 1,160 billion gallons a day, the presently known problems can in general be solved, although some of the solutions may be costly. The report concludes with the finding that the United States has an adequate water supply if properly managed. |