The Growing Reality of Water Shortages in the United States
Drought is no longer a regional issue—it is a systemic, national challenge affecting water availability, infrastructure planning, and long-term sustainability.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, roughly half of the United States is experiencing some level of drought at any given time, with significantly larger portions classified as “abnormally dry.” These conditions are becoming more frequent and more severe.
The U.S. Geological Survey notes that rising temperatures are accelerating evaporation and disrupting precipitation patterns, increasing both the frequency and intensity of drought conditions.
The Hidden Problem: Too Much Water… at the Wrong Time
While drought dominates headlines, precipitation patterns are also shifting. Rainfall is increasingly occurring in short, intense bursts rather than steady events.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, when rainfall cannot be absorbed into the ground, it becomes surface runoff—reducing infiltration and limiting groundwater recharge.
This creates a critical inefficiency: water arrives—but is quickly lost instead of being stored or absorbed.
Why Traditional Drainage Design Falls Short
Traditional stormwater systems are designed to move water away from a site as quickly as possible. While effective for flood mitigation, this approach:
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Limits groundwater recharge
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Increases downstream runoff
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Misses opportunities for water reuse
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Reduces resilience during drought conditions
In today’s environment, this approach leaves significant value on the table.
A New Approach: Designing for Water Balance
Modern stormwater design is shifting toward a water balance approach—prioritizing retention, infiltration, and reuse.
This includes strategies such as infiltration systems, detention and retention basins, permeable surfaces, and green infrastructure. Designing these systems effectively requires a clear understanding of how water behaves across a site under real-world conditions.
How InfoDrainage Supports Water-Conscious Design
InfoDrainage® is a comprehensive drainage design and analysis platform that enables engineers to model how water moves across a site—from surface runoff to underground networks, storage systems, and infiltration into the ground. By combining hydraulic and hydrologic analysis within a single, BIM-connected environment, it allows teams to design, optimize, and validate drainage systems that are compliant, cost-effective, and aligned with sustainable practices.
Rather than focusing solely on moving water off-site, InfoDrainage supports more informed design decisions by helping engineers evaluate opportunities for infiltration, storage, and controlled release. Designers can model soil conditions to better understand infiltration potential, test how systems perform under both extreme storms and prolonged dry periods, and compare alternatives to quantify impacts on runoff and storage.
This capability is particularly valuable in the context of drought conditions, where capturing and infiltrating stormwater can support groundwater recharge, reduce reliance on external water sources, and contribute to more resilient infrastructure over time.
From Drainage to Resource Management
The shift is not just technical—it is conceptual.
Water must be treated as a resource to manage, not simply a problem to remove. Every project represents an opportunity to capture rainfall, support groundwater recharge, reduce strain on municipal systems, and improve long-term resilience.
Tools like InfoDrainage enable engineers to design with these outcomes in mind.
Final Thoughts
Water challenges across the United States are driven not only by supply, but by how effectively we manage the water we receive.
By enabling more informed design decisions, InfoDrainage helps teams move beyond traditional drainage approaches toward solutions that support water resilience and sustainability.
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Want to see how InfoDrainage can support smarter, more water-conscious design?
Contact Hagerman & Company to schedule a demo and explore how advanced stormwater modeling can support your next project.
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