By The Numbers
America’s hidden water crisis
DigDeep, a human rights non-profit working to ensure that every American has clean, running water forever, recently released a new report entitled: “Draining: The Economic Impact of America’s Hidden Water Crisis.” The report provides an in-depth analysis of the costs and benefits of extending water and sanitation access to every home in the United States. According to the report:
More than 1.57 million Americans live without a toilet or tap at home, costing the U.S. economy $8.58 billion every year.
The $8.58 billion annual figure averages out to $15,800 per household in health care, time spent collecting and paying for bottled water, loss of time at work and school and premature death.
Every year, the water access gap causes 219,000 cases of waterborne illness; 36,400 new cases of diabetes and people without running water are 30 times more likely to contract a related disease. There are also 610 premature deaths each year.
There are 71,000 additional cases of mental health conditions per year; $183 million in additional medical bills per year; and $35 million in lost annual earnings due to depression.
The water access gaps causes an annual loss of $1 billion in U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
DigDeep recommends investing $42.5 billion to close the water gap. Extending water and sanitation access to every American will create economic prosperity; the economic benefits of closing the water access gap outweigh the costs by nearly 5 to 1. For every public or private dollar invested in expanding access to running water and flush toilets, the economy gains $4.65 in societal return. This means closing the water access gap could unlock nearly $200 billion of economic value over the next 50 years.
To read the full report, visit www.digdeep.org/draining
