Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts on Municipal Water Demand
Covid-19 has had large early impacts on municipal water demands in the United States. This article states that stay-at-home orders have increased water demands for residential use but also decreased demands for industrial and commercial activities, leading to new imbalances in water distribution systems. Drastic changes in water consumption pose challenges to utility companies as they attempt to balance decreased revenues and operational changes on the water grid. The brief recommends that utilities actively reach out to governments, businesses, and homeowners to gauge water usage demands and help to plan for a return to pre-pandemic water usage patterns.