Officially Out of Water
By Nick Hodge
Two water-related stories broke this week that simply can't be ignored--mainly because they definitively prove how grave the water situation is, but also because buried deep under the initial story are several ways to profit.
The first story broke today out of the small town of Gloucester, located on Massachusetts's Cape Ann.
Gloucester, with an official population of just over 30,000, normally sees its seasonal population rise as tourists flock there for summer get-a-ways. With the increased amount of summer residents and the driest summer in nearly 10 years--only 5.3 inches of rain has fallen--the town has quickly used up nearly all the water in its reservoirs.
And they can't access water from Massachusetts' mainland reserves because the water treatment plant that connects them is shut down for emergency repairs (read deteriorating infrastructure).
Normally, the reservoirs are refilled at night and stay well above the amount that will be needed for the next few days. But in the last week, usage spiked to an average of 5.2 million gallons per day. The treatment plant in Gloucester can only replenish 4.8 gallons daily. Demand is simply outpacing supply.
In fact, with current conditions, there is only enough water left for 32 days.
Sounds like a water shortage to me.
In other news, the city of Birmingham, AL. has issued incentives for finding and reporting buildings that are stealing water from the local water utility.
Apparently, after discovering an increasing number of cases in which people were tapping into the system without paying for it, Birmingham decided to issue rewards to its meter readers for each case they report.
Last month alone, over 200 cases of illegal water hookups were reported (read defective meters). In one case, an entire apartment building was using stolen water.
Birmingham reports an unusually high amount of lost water to begin with. Each year, the utility there reports 26% of the water it produces is lost (read faulty pipes). The national average is 15%.
The Time has Come
If those two stories don't scream opportunity, I don't know what does. Even a shallow reading of these stories points out the need for new pipes, new water meters, and an overhaul of at least one water treatment plant.
The new Green Chip Water Index includes companies that can do all of that.
Starting this week, we'll start supplying profiles for all of the companies in the index. To see the company profiles, simply click on ‘Water Index' and click on any of the activated company names.
This way, you'll be able to learn about each of the companies I've chosen to put in the index.
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posted by Victor Lloyd Smith @ 5:49 PM
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