Water Shortages are Here to Stay - Solutions to Remain Afloat

America’s water supply is changing fast. From shrinking rivers to aging city pipes, water shortages in the US are becoming a part of everyday life.

Across the West and Southwest, people are already feeling the effects. Lake Mead, which supplies water to 25 million people, is sitting at just 40% capacity as of 2025. At the same time, cities are using more water than ever, while many local water systems are struggling to keep up with repairs.

So, what’s behind these water supply trends in the USA? And how can you protect your home, farm, or business from running dry when shortages hit?

Let’s look at what’s driving these changes — and why so many people are turning to rainwater harvesting and emergency water storage tanks to secure their water future.

Water Supply Trends in the USA (2010–2025)

Over the last 15 years, the way Americans get and use water has shifted in a big way. Droughts, rising demand, and aging infrastructure are putting more stress on the system than ever before. Here are the biggest trends you need to know:

Droughts Are Becoming the New Normal

The Colorado River, which provides water for about 40 million Americans, is now flowing 15–20% below historical levels. Reservoirs that depend on it — like Lake Mead and Lake Powell — are at record lows. Other regions are also feeling the pinch. The Pecos River Basin in New Mexico and Texas has seen streamflows drop by nearly 10% since 2010, while Arizona’s Salt River is carrying less water each year. These declines mean less water for cities, farms, and homes — especially in the West.

Rising Demand is Draining Supplies

Even as rivers and reservoirs shrink, municipal water demand has jumped 16–24% since 2010 across many parts of the country. Cities like Phoenix, Denver, and Las Vegas have grown fast, and with growth comes higher water use. Agriculture still accounts for the largest share of withdrawals (50–80%), but demand from cities and businesses keeps rising. That extra pressure is making shortages more common, especially in drought-prone areas.

America’s Water Systems Are Breaking Down

Even when water is available, aging infrastructure is a major problem. Across the country, water mains break an estimated 240,000 times each year, leaking over 7 billion gallons of treated water every day. Many pipes were installed in the 1950s or earlier, and repairs haven’t kept up. Add in the growing risk of contamination from things like lead service lines and PFAS chemicals, and it’s no wonder so many people are looking for backup water storage they can control.

Regional Water Challenges: What It Means for You

Not all parts of the country face the same water struggles. But whether you live in the Southwest, Texas, or the Northern Plains, water shortages in the US are touching nearly every region in some way. Here’s a closer look at the areas most affected by current water supply trends in the USA — and how homeowners, farmers, and businesses are protecting themselves.

Colorado River Basin (Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, California)

The Colorado River is the lifeline for roughly 40 million Americans. But its flows are now about 15–20% below historical averages, and major reservoirs like Lake Mead are hovering below 40% full — their lowest levels in decades. For families and farms here, water shortages aren’t a distant threat. Cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix are already facing restrictions, while many rural areas are seeing wells run dry during droughts.

How to Prepare:

• Many property owners are installing large-capacity emergency water storage tanks (2,500–10,000 gallons) to make sure they can keep livestock watered, gardens growing, and households supplied even when municipal systems are stretched.
• Rainwater harvesting systems are also becoming popular, helping to capture what little rainfall does come and reduce dependence on overburdened city supplies. In urban areas, homeowners are utilizing space-saving slimline rainwater tanks so as not to be left behind the sustainability train.

Pecos River Basin (New Mexico & Texas)

The Pecos River Basin has seen streamflows drop nearly 10% since 2010, and reservoir levels have fallen to around 55% of capacity. Farmers, ranchers, and rural communities along the Pecos face frequent restrictions when droughts peak.

How to Prepare:

• Farm and ranch vertical water storage tanks (500–5,000 gallons) are a reliable way to store water for irrigation, crops, and livestock when the river runs low.
• Portable water tanks also help ranchers move water to remote grazing areas during dry stretches.

Salt River Basin (Arizona)

The Salt River, which feeds central Arizona, has seen steady declines, and Roosevelt Lake is down to about 65% capacity. Municipal supplies still meet most needs, but during drought years, water allocations can tighten — especially for farmers and businesses.

How to Prepare:

• Rainwater harvesting tanks can offset water cuts by capturing seasonal storms.
• Homeowners are also investing in 1,000–2,500 gallon water tanks for emergency use and garden irrigation.

Missouri Headwaters (Montana and Northern Plains)

This region is more stable than the Southwest, with streamflows staying near historical levels. But warmer summers, earlier snowmelt, and occasional droughts are creating new challenges for ranchers and rural communities.

How to Prepare:

• Seasonal underground storage tanks (500–5,000 gallons) give ranchers and small businesses a backup supply during heat waves or wildfire season.
• Storing water during wet months is becoming a standard strategy for resilience.

What It All Means

Across these regions, one thing is clear: water scarcity trends in the USA are forcing more people to take control of their own water security. Whether it’s a robust rainwater collection system, a small emergency tank for a home, or a 10,000-gallon system for a ranch! Having stored water on hand is becoming less of a “prepper” move and more of a basic necessity.

Why Local Water Storage Matters

For years, most Americans trusted their city or county water supply to handle everything. But with water shortages in the US becoming more frequent, that approach is no longer enough. Here’s why local water storage is essential for homeowners, farmers, and businesses today:

America’s Pipes Are Breaking Down

Across the country, water systems are aging fast. The U.S. faces a $625 billion repair and upgrade gap for drinking water infrastructure over the next 20 years. Right now, water mains break about 240,000 times a year, wasting 7 billion gallons of treated water every day. Even when water is available, contamination is another risk. Millions of lead service lines remain in use, and new federal rules are pushing utilities to filter out PFAS (“forever chemicals”), which may lead to higher costs and possible supply cuts during upgrades.

Climate and Drought Are Turning the Pressure Up

The water supply trends in the USA show a double threat: long droughts that drain reservoirs, followed by intense rainstorms and flooding. Both extremes strain public water systems. Drought means rationing and restrictions, while flooding can damage infrastructure and contaminate wells and reservoirs.

Costs Are Rising, But Reliability Isn’t

Cities are investing heavily to fix pipes, replace old systems, and meet new regulations. But that often means higher water bills for households and farms, even as service disruptions become more common during droughts, freezes, or infrastructure failures.

The Shift Toward Sustainable, Decentralized Water

Across the United States and beyond, water systems are moving away from relying only on massive treatment plants and endless pipelines. Instead, both big organizations and everyday property owners are finding ways to capture and store water locally. Why? Because water shortages in the US and rising infrastructure costs are making rainwater harvesting and stormwater detention more than just a trend — they’re becoming part of how homes, businesses, and cities manage water.

Rainwater Harvesting Is Going Mainstream

Some of the world’s biggest sports arenas are proving how rainwater capture can make a real difference. These projects save millions of gallons of potable water while preventing local flooding:

• Target Field (Minneapolis, MN): Installed a 200,000-gallon cistern to collect rain from the field and concourse. The water is reused to irrigate the turf and clean seating areas (NRDC).
• Levi’s Stadium (California): Uses stormwater capture for landscape irrigation and cooling systems, part of what helped the venue earn a LEED Gold certification (The 49ers Golden Heart Fund).
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA): Features bioswales, a 680,000-gallon cistern, and a 1.1 million-gallon stormwater vault. These systems irrigate landscaping, supply cooling towers, and reduce flooding risk — earning LEED Platinum status (Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sustainability).
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London): Uses a green roof and rainwater tanks to save about 47,000 liters per event (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Guide).

These examples show how rainwater harvesting and detention systems are cutting water bills, protecting local infrastructure, and reducing strain on municipal supplies — even at massive facilities.

Local Tanks Are Part of the New Normal

For farms, ranches, and even businesses, on-site storage tanks are becoming standard. They help:

• Store captured rainwater or well water for irrigation or livestock.
• Provide emergency reserves during droughts, freezes, or citywide outages.
• Support wildfire preparedness by keeping thousands of gallons on hand for firefighting or landscape protection.

Even Cities Are Going Local

Large-scale projects like San Diego’s Pure Water program and Provo, Utah’s aquifer storage efforts show how communities are turning to reuse and local capture to boost resilience. While those are billion-dollar projects, homeowners and farms can take the same approach on a smaller scale with Tank Depot’s durable rainwater and emergency tanks.

Factors that Influence Water Supply

The increase and decrease of a water supply can occur for various reasons. All reasons have a common element, though: climate. The climate-related issues affecting water supply include:

• Heavy Rain: Many people are under the impression that floods only occur in certain parts of the U.S. Truthfully, though, floods have the potential to happen anywhere, especially when there is heavy rain. Storm drains can become clogged and plugged by remains in the road or buildings. Places such as parking garages, underpasses, and basements can become danger zones during a flood.
• Quick-melting snow: When temperatures rise quickly after the winter, snow has the potential to melt rapidly. Rapid melting snow can flood into homes, causing water damage to furniture, and floors and also causing electrical issues. Due to quick melting snow, floods can be prevented if structural issues and sealing up cracks where water can seep into.
• Little to no rainfall: “The contiguous U.S. average annual precipitation was 30.28 inches, which is 0.34 inches above the long-term average, ranking in the middle third of the historical record”, stated the National Centers for Environmental Information. States that experience severe droughts are those in the West, including California, Nevada, and Arizona.
• Heat and dry weather: Little rainfall is not the only cause of the drought. Extremely hot weather increases the likelihood of water evaporating from nearby rivers and lakes. When evaporation occurs, soils can lose moisture, and plants that generally retain water can die.

Read on to discover more trends in climate and environmental sustainability.

Solutions for Limited Water Supply

Water shortages in the US are becoming a reality for more people each year. Whether it’s drought, aging infrastructure, or rising demand, relying on municipal water alone is no longer enough.

The good news? You can take steps to secure and conserve water for your home, farm, or business. Here are five practical ways to prepare:

Install an Emergency Water Storage Tank

Having 500–10,000 gallons of stored water can keep your property running when city supplies falter.

• For homes: A 250–1,000 gallon water container can provide enough for drinking, cooking, and basic needs during emergencies.
• For farms and businesses: 1,000–10,000 gallon water storage tanks can keep livestock watered, crops irrigated, and operations moving during shortages.

Harvest Rainwater

Capturing rainfall is a cost-effective, sustainable way to reduce dependence on stressed systems.

• Install roof-based rain harvesting systems to gather water during seasonal rains.
• Use it for gardens, landscaping, or livestock — and with proper treatment, even for household use in some regions.

Upgrade to Water-Efficient Fixtures and Systems

Simple changes can save thousands of gallons a year:

• Install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets.
• Use drip irrigation systems instead of sprinklers to cut outdoor water use by up to 50%.
• For farms, high-efficiency irrigation and soil moisture sensors help reduce overwatering.

Capture and Reuse Greywater

Water from sinks, showers, and washing machines can be filtered and reused for non-drinking purposes like landscape irrigation or flushing toilets.

• Many states allow greywater reuse systems, which can cut household water demand by 25–40%.
• Pairing a Tank Depot septic storage tank with a filtration system makes this easy for homes or small businesses.

Plan for Drought and Emergency Scenarios

Don’t wait for a shortage to hit.

• Check your region’s drought outlook each season and size your storage tank accordingly.
• Store enough drinking water for at least 14 days per person (typically 1 gallon per person per day).
• For wildfire-prone areas, dedicate part of your tank for firefighting and landscape protection.

The Bottom Line:

Combining emergency water storage with conservation practices helps protect you from the growing risks tied to water supply trends in the USA. These steps can save money, reduce stress on public systems, and ensure you’re prepared for the next drought or infrastructure failure.

Start your journey of conserving water and addressing water shortages in the US today with Tank Depot. Contact our team of specialists for guidance on the best solution for your application.

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