Reversing Water Shortages: How AI and Innovation Are Transforming Water Conservation in U.S. Cities

Sponsored By Oldcastle Infrastructure | AI Meets Infrastructure: A Smarter Way to Conserve America’s Most Critical Resource

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Summary

Water shortages are no longer a distant concern—they are a mounting crisis across the United States, with nearly every state projected to face serious supply constraints in the coming years. From the declining Colorado River to overdrawn aquifers in Arizona and water restrictions in Texas, communities are grappling with the consequences of aging infrastructure, climate volatility, and population growth. Traditional conservation efforts, while important, are proving insufficient to meet today’s escalating demand.

In this article, Peter Delgado, Director of Commercial Excellence at Oldcastle Infrastructure, examines how artificial intelligence and data-driven tools are transforming the future of water conservation through CivilSense™, a breakthrough platform designed to help municipalities detect leaks, predict failures, and safeguard drinking water before disaster strikes. Drawing on real-world case studies like Bartow County, Georgia—where 43 million gallons of annual water loss were identified and mitigated—Delgado highlights how technology can empower local governments to manage water resources with greater efficiency, foresight, and resilience. As U.S. cities race to adapt, innovation is proving to be the key to securing our most precious natural resource.

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Water scarcity — perhaps too easy to think of as a global issue with little impact in the United States — has quickly become a daunting challenge for communities across the country. Nearly every state will face water shortages in the coming years, and many are coping with dramatic changes in water supply today.

Dwindling supplies of freshwater pose a risk to everything from human health to agriculture, manufacturing, and a community’s financial sustainability.

Consider these timely examples:

• Nearly 40 million people — about 12% of the U.S. population — live in the western part of the country that is dependent on the water supply from the Colorado River. One of the longest rivers in the country, it winds through seven states, serving multiple purposes such as irrigation, power, and a source for potable water. The river’s water flow has decreased by about 20% in the past 100 years, a decline that may sound minimal until you factor in that a 10% decline puts nearly $1.4 trillion of economic activity at risk.

• A 2023 report by the Arizona Department of Water Resources shows there will be a major shortage of groundwater in the next century — a deficit on the order of 4.6 million acre-feet of water over the next 100 years. Estimates show that in Arizona, one acre-foot of water can serve up to three typical households in a year, a number that varies by community. Regulators believe new development approvals in the sprawling Phoenix metropolitan area — home to 4.6 million people — may be at risk unless additional water resources are identified.

• A major supply of San Antonio’s water comes from Edwards Aquifer, which is at its lowest level since 1990. This dramatically low level has required San Antonio Water Service customers to restrict landscape watering to only once a week, from 5 a.m.-10 a.m. and 9 p.m.-midnight on designated watering days.

In January 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released its National Water Availability Assessment, finding that “nearly 30 million people live in areas where available surface-water supplies are limited relative to water use, indicating a high level of water limitation.” Combine a dwindling supply of natural water with climate change and aging infrastructure, and today’s municipal leaders face a trio of challenges demanding innovative solutions for effective water management. Each passing day underscores an eye-opening reality: Water scarcity is becoming prevalent nationwide, and protecting our available water is imperative.

In the 2024 “State of the Water Industry Report,” produced by the American Water Works Association, industry leaders ranked “long-term water supply availability” as the fourth most critical issue facing communities, behind watershed/source water protection; financing for capital improvements; and renewal and replacement of aging water and wastewater infrastructure. The largest group of respondents (68%) represented water utilities.

Report respondents from utilities listed “protect drinking water supplies” as the second-highest priority among a list of key water system objectives. About 61% say they have implemented or are in the process of implementing source water protection plans and

programs, demonstrating proactive action to address the challenge of water scarcity.

Also leading to water scarcity — and reduced drinking water supplies — is the reality of aging water infrastructure throughout the U.S. Much of the water system was constructed right after World War II with an expected shelf-life of about 75 years, which means most of the system is old beyond its time. There’s little question as to why so much of it is failing.

As community water systems break down, municipal water management leaders find themselves confronting aging infrastructure that is either causing issues today or predicted to cause significant problems soon. Complicating matters, water infrastructure is underground, invisible until failures surface.

The ”out-of-sight-out of mind” nature of water loss can cultivate a reactive mindset among many city officials and citizens. People in local government can agree that asset management –– a comprehensive term for creating, maintaining, and updating a community’s infrastructure –– is a difficult assignment.

The crisis of delayed maintenance for aging infrastructure is found all across the U.S., and the consequences are painful. Many communities are in a vicious down-spiral that will only get worse with a failure to repair the systems.

In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the U.S. water infrastructure will require an investment of $625 billion in the next 20 years — more than a 400% increase from its 2018 estimate of $150 billion.

It’s important to note that traditional water conservation, infrastructure assessment, and protection measures aren’t enough for many communities. For example, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge provide valuable reserves but are unable to meet the increasing demand. Even efficient irrigation techniques like drip systems and advanced sewage water treatment, while important, cannot fully offset the pressures of overuse and population growth. Without more innovative solutions, these traditional ways will remain inadequate in the face of escalating water scarcity.

It’s increasingly evident that new, technology-based solutions are the answer to coping with today’s water challenges. Municipalities are dealing with reduced staffing and brain drain as senior-level managers retire and leave a skills gap and expertise that will take decades to rebuild. Budget limitations hinder necessary repairs, and the result is that drinking water slips through the cracks.

Municipalities relying on traditional water management methods now have new, proven methods to address the growing challenges of water supply and demand. While metering, measuring, and managing water use help identify opportunities for saving, they fall short in fixing large-scale water loss.

In response to today’s water scarcity and aging infrastructure challenges, Oldcastle Infrastructure developed CivilSense™, a comprehensive water infrastructure management innovation that pairs expertise and artificial intelligence to predict pipe failures before they happen, creating a proven path to protect our most valuable resource — water.

It’s the smartest solution for cities. CivilSense™ provides a data-driven approach to sustainable water management that leverages cutting-edge technologies backed by more than 60 years of expertise and experience. Water management leaders now have a choice that pushes asset management far beyond the options that existed even as recently as last year.

When water is scarce, protecting it for use is critical. It’s a startling fact that about 35% of all treated drinking water globally is lost each year, with the United States alone losing 6 billion gallons of treated drinking water every day due to leaks. That’s the equivalent of about 9,000 Olympic-sized pools.

On an annual level, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) reports that the United States drinking water system leaks approximately 2 trillion gallons of purified water each year, costing municipalities around $8 billion annually. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates a $625 billion investment is needed over the next 20 years to service aging drinking water infrastructure.

These are costly realities. When treated water is lost before reaching homes and businesses, utilities absorb the cost, leaving little room for infrastructure upgrades. This forces water utilities to increase consumer rates, putting added pressure on households and businesses alike.

Proactive communities are seeking ways to cope with water scarcity today with innovative measures like CivilSense™. Consider Bartow County, a community about 80 miles north of Atlanta that buys about 95% of its water from neighbouring cities and counties.

In an Oldcastle Infrastructure pilot program, nine sections of pipe were investigated by field engineers and determined to be confirmed leaks, varying from small (1-4 gallons per minute), medium (5-9 gpm) and large (more than 10 gpm). Of the nine, two were small, three were medium and four were large. The total volume of these nine links was 83 gpm, which translates to nearly 120,000 gallons a day or 43 million gallons per year.

“Repairing small leaks that are three-to-five gallons per minute may not sound exciting, but having the ability to find and fix leaks before they create more damage is a much more proactive and less costly approach,” said Lamont Kiser, director of Bartow County Water. “Our proactive approach is working for Bartow County and our citizens.”

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This article is sponsored content in collaboration with Oldcastle Infrastructure and is published by The SustainabilityX® Magazine—an award-winning, female-founded and female-led digital nonprofit platform that has been advancing sustainability and driving impact through bold dialogue since 2016. We are committed to transforming the environment and economy for a sustainable future through the power of women’s leadership. As an independent publication dedicated to high-impact storytelling, we rely on the support of our community and mission-aligned partners to continue our work. Please note: we do not share your personal information with advertisers, and our editorial content remains fully independent of financial contributors.

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About Peter Delgado 

As Director of Commercial Excellence at Oldcastle Infrastructure, Peter Delgado is an expert on modern, efficient management of innovative water solutions that address aging infrastructure and water scarcity. He leads Oldcastle Infrastructure teams to help municipal leaders solve water loss from aging infrastructure, inefficiencies, theft, and leaks.

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About CivilSense™

Oldcastle Infrastructure’s CivilSense™ is an advanced water infrastructure management platform that leverages artificial intelligence, acoustic sensing, and real-time data to proactively detect and address leaks before they escalate into emergencies. With a market-leading accuracy rate of 93%, CivilSense™ enables municipalities to transition from reactive maintenance to strategic, data-driven asset management, effectively reducing water loss and associated costs. By integrating multi-source data—including GIS, infrastructure, and climate insights—CivilSense™ identifies high-risk pipeline segments, allowing for targeted interventions that enhance the resilience and sustainability of water systems. This innovative solution empowers communities to safeguard their water resources, minimize service disruptions, and optimize infrastructure investments.

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About OldCastle Infrastructure

Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH company, is a leading provider of engineered building solutions across North America. With nearly 80 manufacturing facilities and a workforce of over 4,000 employees, the company delivers a comprehensive portfolio of more than 16,000 products, including precast concrete, polymer concrete, and plastic components. These solutions serve critical sectors such as water, energy, communications, and transportation, supporting the development and maintenance of essential infrastructure.

Committed to sustainability and innovation, Oldcastle Infrastructure aligns its operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on responsible consumption, climate action, and the advancement of sustainable communities. As part of CRH plc, one of the world's largest building materials companies, Oldcastle Infrastructure combines global resources with local expertise to deliver reliable, high-quality solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern infrastructure projects.

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About The SustainabilityX® Magazine

The SustainabilityX® Magazine is an award-winning, digital, female-founded, and female-led non-profit initiative bringing the environment and economy together for a sustainable future through dialogue, and now transforming the environment and economy for a sustainable future through the power of women's leadership. Founded on May 8, 2016, and inspired by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by Canada's Top 30 Under 30 in Sustainability Leadership awardee, Supriya Verma, the digital media initiative focuses on approaching the world's most pressing challenges with a holistic, integrated, systems-based perspective as opposed to the traditional and ineffective siloed approach with a single lens on interdisciplinary topics like climate and energy. This initiative ultimately seeks to explore how to effectively bring the environment and economy together through intellectual, insightful dialogue and thought-provoking discussion amongst individuals across sectors taking an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to untangling the intricate web of sustainability while championing women's leadership in sustainability.

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