Preparing water supplies for climate change

Climate change will transform water supplies and water quality, so the U.S. EPA is preparing for the hard times to come. In a draft report (PDF Size: 863 KB) released in March, the agency documents the predicted changes and outlines how it intends to respond.

Among the many challenges that water managers must face, the report lists changes in ocean and fresh water chemistry, rain and snowfall amounts, and groundwater availability. Regional forecasts show various and extreme impacts for Alaska and U.S. islands—for example, loss of ice shelves and mangroves—with repercussions for local communities.

Floods or intense storms are likely to release pollutants and pathogens into the environment and drinking-water supplies. Warmer waters could lead to more dead zones and shifts in the breeding cycles of fish and insects. As ecosystems change unpredictably, native species may disappear, making it easier for exotic ones to invade.

The report, National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change, lays out a 5-year strategy for local and federal water managers. (The report's recommendations do not have the force of law.) One area of emphasis is more efficient management of both hydroelectric power plants and the electricity used to treat and deliver water. EPA considers such water-sector measures a part of greenhouse gas mitigation.

The agency is calling for research on adaptation and mitigation, as well as more data and analytical tools to pursue a "watershed approach" for future resource management. In February, EPA's Office of Research and Development called for proposals to study impacts on water quality caused by climate change; that Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant application period closes May 8. The public comment period on the EPA water climate-change strategy closes May 27.

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