Water has played an important role in Houston’s infrastructure and growth since the city’s inception in 1837 when the town was born at the junction of the Buffalo and White Oak bayous. Although the trip was arduous, the ability to navigate the bayous from the Gulf of Mexico allowed the town to prosper and rapidly increase in population through its early years. Flash forward to today and Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, with over 7 million residents in the metropolitan statisti- cal area. Most projections indicate that if the city continues to grow at a similar rate to last two decades, the Houston area will be home to over 10 million residents by 2050, with many projections indicating much higher growth than that. For a city that was founded in part because of its access to water for commerce, and one that has demonstrated its strength and determina- tion through disastrous flooding events, water will continue to play an important role in the prosperity of Houston, but not necessarily only in the ways previously mentioned. A huge opportunity for Houston lies in its ability to effectively handle the scarcity of water and provide it as a drinkable resource for the huge growth in population that is expected to continue. Before we talk about how the City of Houston is handling their growing population and the demands that growth has on the water supply, let’s take a look at the water infrastructure throughout the United States as a whole. America’s Water Infrastructure Whether it’s considering the estimated 650 water main breaks a day, countless miles of leaking supply pipe (or worse yet, sanitary sewers), environmental compliance issues faced by numerous treatment facilities, or land subsidence and drained aquifers, reports have been pouring in about America’s aging water/wastewater infrastructure for years. While conservation efforts have intensified and data shows that we are more conscientious than ever before, the inefficiencies, dilapidated conditions, and outdated technologies of typical water and wastewater infrastruc- ture are reaching critical levels. The most recent National Infrastructure Report Card from 2017 rated Drinking Water infrastructure at a D and Wastewater infrastructure at a D+. The report is alarming especially as we face increased environmental concerns and funding issues that jeop- ardize future projects and water sustainability. There are solutions but improving the National Water Infrastructure begins with funding. All told, an estimated $1 trillion is needed over the next 25 years to meet increased water demands. Projects that entail expanding, rehabilitating, upgrading, or creating new plants and infra- structure while utilizing innovative/sustainable solutions to maximize The Challenges and Opportunities of Water in Fast Growing Houston By Josh Davis
and improve water services are a must. When combined, the need for funding and innovation within projects provides an opportunity for cit- ies to build value. Everything’s Bigger in Texas Although the outlook on water/wastewater infrastructure in America could use improvement, there are some bright spots throughout the nation that showcase the potential for combatting the water needs of
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