Nation’s drought prompts a look what business is doing to conserve, re-use

“Is it supposed to rain this week?”  “What happened to that rain we were going to get?”  “It’s dry as a bone around here.”  “Will it ever rain??”

Thus goes the conversational refrain this summer among consumers, growers and weather watchers, as the great drought of 2012 now has launched more than half the counties in the continental United States into disaster status.  To see how bad the summer has been, check out this 12-week animated map of the U.S., showing the progression from normal rainfall to parched over the past three months, courtesy of the Drought Monitor site that’s run by a coalition of government and academic resources.

Agriculture and food prices are the natural extensions of this story, and for good reason, as I have pointed out in related blog posts. But as many business and homeowners cast a hopeful eye toward the cloud cover, it seems like a good opportunity to look at the business of that precious resource, water.

The water industry is a vast topic and not one you can polish off in one big bite — I’ll have more on this as we seemingly get drier and drier –  but there are a few local angles to start with.

For example, you could take a look at the most water-intensive companies on your beat and inquire about what they are doing to conserve or reduce the use of H20 in manufacturing and distribution.  This report by the U.S. Geological Service is a big eye-opener; it includes a map of the United States showing which areas pulled the most water use for industrial purposes in 2005.

For inspiration, here’s a link to a CNBC package entitled “Liquid Assets: The Big Business of Water” that includes many factoids about industrial water use, including the deconstruction of how water plays a role in a variety of processes at the Miller beer factories in Wisconsin; read it as a template of questions you should ask your large local industries. And here’s a similar excellent Fortune article on the big business of water.

And here’s an interesting map from CircleOfBlue.orgwhich claims that waters costs for the consumer are rising faster than any other utility, including gas, electric and phone usage.  That’s fascinating fodder for a personal finance piece.

Conventional sprinkler irrigation at Leafy Greens, operated by farmer Tom Heess, in the Salinas Valley, Calif. Photo: USDA.gov

World Water Week kicks off in Stockholm on Aug. 26; it’s more of an environmental than commercial event but you might subscribe to their social media for more ideas.

In addition to water consumption, check out water conservation angles — many car washes, for example, are using reclamation systems that let wash water be used virtually indefinitely, according to the industry.   Re-using water — from the sale of rainwater to householders to the complex systems used by car washes and other businesses — is a great angle to pursue.

And of course, the dreaded plastic water bottle is a good business angle; here’s a neat story from San Francisco about the costs and benefits of adding bottle-filling spigots to regular drinking fountains.  I’ve noticed quite a fad among co-workers to use non-commerical water receptacles in the quest to stay hydrated, from ceramic mugs to double-walled tumblers.  The local market for those good is another retail angle you might pursue.