The drought afflicting a wide swath of the U.S. is doing more than just driving up food prices. It's going to boost your water bill, too. U.S. water utilities face a critical economic squeeze, according to a new report. A survey by water-engineering firm Black & Veatch of 368 water utility companies across the country shows that 66 percent of them are not generating enough revenue to cover their costs. To make up for that, prices for water are heading upward, said Michael Orth, one of the co-authors of the report and senior vice president at Black & Veatch. "People will have to pay more for water to make up the falling revenues," he said. The economic pressure on water companies is coming in large part from the ongoing drought in Southwestern states. That often means utilities must buy water elsewhere, which drives up the cost to consumers. So fix that dripping faucet.
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