Overuse of water in the country has many impacts on current water supply as well as future water use.  A study in 1999 of 1200 single family homes showed that showers used an estimated 11.6 gallons of water a day, or 17% of the total water consumption.  Each shower you take represents a part of the overall daily water usage and energy that is consumed. Due to too \many people over using water we have had several effects on our environment. Droughts happen every year in our country, cities and states are trying to come together to come up with ways to conserve water so it will last. Seasonal loss of recreational areas like lakes and rivers when the human demand for water conflicts with environmental needs. When reservoir water levels get too lower and ground water tables drop, water health of humans is at risk, pollutants for animals and humans are at risk.

Although many cities are working on different solutions, water companies and local governments are still having issues with water shortages.  As the United States continues to have projected population growths, water companies are becoming more concerned about the amount of water they will have.  There are issues with old water plants that treat the water, this will be a very expensive to update these plants. Cost is a concern for treatment projects that store and transport water when the demand is too high for the treatment plants. Specifically, California who has continuous drought problems due to lack of rain and runoff from the mountains are in danger of running out of drinking water.  California will sometimes have to have emergency drought measures where families are not permitted to water grass and encouraged to conserve as much as they can. Water loss isn’t just a California problem: according to a study in 2015 NASA reported that people are are depleting more than half of the world’s 37 largest aquifers at amounts that can not be fixed.  According to a study by Texas A& M two major aquifers in northern cities are declining in the amount of water and quality of water that is being produced . According to Dr Robert Mace an administrator with the Texas Water Development Board “We’re continuing to pump water from the aquifer at greater levels than it can support,” he said. “The levels continue to go down.”

Families are also at risk for the issues with too much water usage, as a strain on water supply will only make the water prices go up for families.  If farmers who supply our produce do not have enough water for crops, food supply will fall and prices will rise. Watching our water usage whether it be at home, on vacation, at a business or a place to eat is everyone's responsibility.  We should all take action to protect this resource and the easiest thing to do is cut back on the water we use and waste.