From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Freshwater Supply Concerns

Description: Audio interview by GAO staff with Anne-Marie Fennell,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment 

Related GAO Work: GAO-14-430: Freshwater: Supply Concerns Continue and
Uncertainties Complicate Planning
 
Released: May 2014

[ Background Music ]

[ Narrator: ] Welcome to GAO's Watchdog Report; your source for news and
information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It's May
2014. The nation's water bodies have long supplied Americans with
abundant freshwater, but recent events, such as the ongoing California
drought have focused attention on competing demands for this limited
resource. A team led by Anne-Marie Fennell, a director in GAO's Natural
Resources and Environment team, recently looked at freshwater management
issues and trends in all 50 states. GAO's Sarah Kaczmarek, sat down with
Anne-Marie to talk about what they found.

[ Sarah Kaczmarek: ] What are some of the important issues around the
availability of freshwater?

[ Anne-Marie Fennell: ] We found key issues related to freshwater
availability and use have remained largely unchanged since we last
reported on this topic in 2003. For example, there are ongoing concerns
about population growth straining water supplies. Especially in certain
western and southern states where water supply is already limited.
Moreover, states that have not expected freshwater shortages in their
state have raised concerns about population growth in particular parts
of their state also stressing the available water supply.

[ Sarah Kaczmarek: ] What expectations do state water managers have for
water availability over the next 10 years, and how is this affecting
water planning?

[ Anne-Marie Fennell: ] Based on our survey of 50 states, state water
managers expect widespread shortages in the future. Specifically, 40 out
of 50 state water managers expected shortages in some portion of their
states, under average conditions, in the next 10 years. An increased
number of state water managers expect freshwater shortages over wider
geographic areas. In addition, drought conditions are expected to
increase the probability of future shortages, and all 50 state water
managers reported that they expect such shortages in the next 1 to 10
years. In terms of planning for these expected shortages, our review
found that uncertainty stems from a number of factors that are likely to
complicate state water managers' planning efforts in the future. For
example, uncertainty in climate change projections, and limitations in
data make water resource planning efforts changing. Uncertainty about
future demands for water, such as the amount of water that can be used
for energy extraction and production in the future, can complicate water
management planning.

[ Sarah Kaczmarek: ] What steps have states and the federal government
taken to manage freshwater resources?

[ Anne-Marie Fennell: ] Our review identified a number of steps that
states have taken to improve freshwater management. For example, in
2013, 38 state water managers reported that their states have drought
preparedness plans, which is an increase from the number of states that
reported having such plans in our last report in 2003. In addition to
increased planning, our survey showed that a greater number of states
are developing new water supplies, to supplement what they already have.
States aren't the only parties taking action. Over the last decade,
federal agencies have also initiated or updated a number of programs to
support management of freshwater.

[ Sarah Kaczmarek: ] Finally, what do you see is the bottom line of this
report?

[ Anne-Marie Fennell: ] While federal agencies, states, and other water
stakeholders have taken a number of steps to address concerns related to
freshwater availability and use, shortages are expected to continue in
the future. It'll be important to continue to develop collaborative
relationships among stakeholders and enhance data on water resources so
that managers are better able to plan for and mitigate expected
shortages in the future.

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next episode of GAO's Watchdog Report for more from the congressional
watchdog, the U.S. Government Accountability Office.