The United States Environmental Protection Agency, regions, states, and tribes are working together to connect smart water policies with sustainable communities. Thousands of communities across the nation are facing difficult challenges in meeting their water resource needs. According to a 2003 US General Accounting Office report, 36 state water managers anticipate water shortages by 2013, and that is before taking into account drought conditions or any of the potential impacts of climate change. This is one reason EPA convened a work group in 2007 to examine the possible impacts of climate change on our National Water Program.

In March of this year, EPA released a draft strategy to respond to the challenges that water programs may face because of climate change. The draft strategy is the product of the workgroup, which was made up of senior water program managers from headquarters and regional offices and senior managers from EPA’s Office of Water, Office of Air and Radiation, and Office of Research and Development. In the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change, we provide an overview of the potential effects of climate change on water resources and America’s clean water and safe drinking water programs. We also outline 46 specific actions we are proposing to adapt program implementation in light of climate change