Hotter, drier weather could double water bills in some cities, Stanford study finds
Hotter, drier weather threatens to double water bills by mid-century in some cities, according to a Stanford-led study. The research, published July 8 in Nature Sustainability, is the first to comprehensively model how climate change, infrastructure investment, and household water demand can combine to compound an already growing affordability crisis. … To understand how predicted changes in temperature and rainfall over the next two decades are likely to affect local water supplies and costs, the research team analyzed data from Santa Cruz, California. … Using a modeling framework developed with data from Santa Cruz’s water department, the researchers linked plausible future climate scenarios with utility adaptation decisions. … Among the results: measures taken to adapt to less water availability could lead to a near doubling of median water bills in Santa Cruz by mid-century.
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- Nature Sustainability: Study: Urban water affordability crisis exacerbated by climate change
