It is a fact that the United States is running out of fresh water, according to Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico.
 
Among the items Udall pointed out are the following:
• Global water consumption has tripled in the past 50 years.
• In the United States, the demand for fresh water will exceed supply by as much as 40 percent by 2030, just 17 years from now.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says 36 states are currently faced with local or regional water shortages.
• The Rio Grande, which cuts through New Mexico, is now listed as one of the top 10 endangered rivers in the world.

"The danger is clear and we have to act to protect our way of life, especially here in the West," adds Udall.
 
While we wait for government and other organizations to act, Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co, Inc., says there are many steps building owners, managers, and cleaning professionals can take now to help use water more efficiently. Among them:
 
• Look for the EPA's WaterSense label on scores of water-using products, from toilets to irrigation systems.
 
• More than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes and facilities each year. Have a "Fix a Leak Week" in your facility, letting building engineers know about and fix leaking pipes where noticed.
 
• Encourage the creation of a "water efficiency culture" among building users; a water efficiency culture encourages everyone to think about how they use water and how they can use it more efficiently.

"This is far more than a water conservation issue," says Reichardt. "We can use far less water than we do today and still maintain our lifestyle if we conserve water and keep looking for more and more ways to use water more efficiently."