As we’re already seeing in many parts of the United States, the limitless availability of water we’ve become accustomed to can no longer be guaranteed, due to sustained and expanding extreme drought and depletion of both surface and aquifer sources. Further, the cost of water has been greatly subsidized and growers and consumers have never paid the real costs of water (i.e. storage, sourcing, distribution, etc.). As water becomes scarcer, it can no longer be viewed as a commodity, and as costs increase, the user will bear a greater share of the real costs of water.

These were the key themes of Cornell University’s Seeley Summit held in Lisle, IL, June 22-26.

Population growth and the increasing water needs of agriculture, industry, and the consumer are outstripping the sustainable availability of water and this problem is compounded during periods of drought. At the summit, water regulators from major growing areas, including Florida, California, Texas and Colorado discussed their challenges in sourcing water, and for building the infrastructure to store and distribute it.

Growers of both floriculture and food field crops in regions experiencing water shortages explained the steps they’ve taken to manage their operations and some of the hard choices they’ve had to make. Some growers were forced to leave their fields unplanted when they couldn’t get their historical water allocations; others changed their product mixes to focus their production on more water-wise, drought-tolerant crops.

As water demand increases, the cost of water will inevitably go up. In the past, growers have been blessed with subsidized, low-cost water. But as water becomes scarcer and costs rise, water will have to be considered as a substantial input-cost.

And let’s not forget about the real and psychological implications on the consumer. They’re faced with two additional challenges: Will they compensate us for our higher costs and retails? And, when they’re faced with higher water costs at their spigot, or they’re dealing with rationed water quantities, will they make the choice to buy our water-intensive plants and landscapes? Sooner than later, consumers will be asking about our water footprint, just as they’re asking about our carbon footprint today.

This Seeley Summit raised the awareness that water is a potential game-changer, not only for those currently dealing with drought and water scarcity, but also for the entire industry.

Stan Pohmer is chief executive officer and founder of Pohmer Consulting Group in Minnetonka, MN. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 612/605-8799.