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In an age of AI and autonomous vehicles, the U.S. water system is showing its age—and cracking under pressure, Fast Company writes.
A seamless experience for most Americans, water access masks a growing infrastructure crisis fueled by decades of underinvestment, extreme weather, and rising demand.
Each day, the U.S. loses over 6 billion gallons of treated water—enough to fill 9,000 Olympic pools—due to leaks and pipe breaks, costing $2.6 billion annually. Weather extremes only intensify the strain, from floods to droughts, revealing a system that’s increasingly unfit for purpose.
Though the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $50 billion for water projects, a recent EPA estimate pegs the real 20-year need at $625 billion. Closing the gap will require dedicated funding and a sharp turn toward innovation.
Emerging technologies, like AI-powered risk modeling and smart drainage systems, are beginning to make the “invisible” visible—helping cities predict breaks, manage stormwater and protect critical infrastructure.
