In financial reports, US public companies cited water 43% more in 2020 than in 2019; company annual reports in the US cited 58 companies mentioning water risk in their 2020 filings, up from 41 the previous year. Another finding was the underestimation of water consumption and the all-in cost of water consumption. Costs such as insurance, expenses after droughts or floods, public relations damage from perceived ‘irresponsible’ water use, and the need to move or build new facilities near fresh water.
