Let’s think about how many companies use water for critical business needs: utility companies, food and beverage products, pharma, manufacturing, agriculture, chemical companies. Discussions about water availability have now reached the board room as global droughts are becoming more common.
“In a water-constrained world, water is, in fact, the new frontier for forward-thinking business leaders who want to increase productivity and improve human prosperity.”
Agriculture has shown the greatest efficiencies with a 100% improvement in water productivity in the past 40 years. With agriculture using 70% of the world’s water, it has had the greatest incentives and impact on water.
A variety of technology improvements including reverse osmosis, innovative desalination, and water treatment processes have increased water productivity.
http://www.fastcompany.com/1766346/changing-how-businesses-think-about-water
The Hopgood Group, LLC 
In 2000, the scientific community, began predicting that one out of three people in the world would have to factor water shortages into their lives by the year 2025. However, it has already happened, according to a report presented in Stockholm during World Water Week in August 2007; the result of work compiled by 700 scientists from the International Water Management Institute. In China, according to the Ministry of Water Resources, almost two-thirds of China’s 661 cities are facing water scarcity, and at least 100 are facing severe drought. In the Middle East scarcity of water resources is expected to create serious environmental challenges for the region. The U.S. population growth assures coming water shortages throughout the country, as many in the Southwest are already experiencing. Of particular concern throughout the world, including the U.S., is the depletion of deep aquifers, known as fossil water.
Because of inadequate water supplies, and the limited infrastructure to deliver what is available, half the people in the world today lack the sanitation levels the Romans had. Half the hospital beds on earth are occupied by people with easily preventable diseases caused by impure water. It is reported that access to clean water could save at least two million lives a year.
Increasing attention is being put on developing new approaches and products to supply clean and safe water globally. While progress is being made, much more needs to be done. Another area that needs more attention is the integration of solutions for water and energy.