A Tennessee city is under extreme water stress, and officials are pleading with residents to reduce their water consumption, according to WSMV.

What's happening?

Manchester, Tennessee, is consuming 1 million gallons of water more per day than usual, and it's impeding the city's ability to function. 

"Water demand is so high that it is preventing the [Duck River Utility Commission] from performing essential maintenance and repairs at the water treatment facility," the city said in a Saturday statement. "This will lead to a complete water system failure in less than a week if customers do not reduce water use." 

This warning also named nearby communities Tullahoma, Wartrace, Bell Buckle, Hillsboro, and Pelham. 

The spike in water usage aligned with a cold snap that threatened to freeze pipes. To combat this, many homeowners kept water running. 

"When the ground freezes or gets cold, and then once it starts to thaw, the water pipes will move and crack or bust," said Tullahoma Utilities Authority President Allen Potter, per WKRN. "And also, people will drip their water to keep it from freezing in their homes."

Why is water scarcity important?

This instance of water scarcity is indicative of a larger trend. Droughts are becoming more extreme because of atmospheric pollution. Emissions capture heat in the atmosphere, speeding up evaporation on the ground and rapidly reducing snowpack. Even in winter, pollution keeps cool, dry air separated from moist, hot air in the upper atmosphere. 

Besides the loss of residential use when water supplies run low, agriculture and food security is threatened. Droughts also cause stress on ecosystems. A Tennessee aquarium had to scramble to save a threatened species after a previous drought, for example.

A U.N. report suggests that water bankruptcy is likely to become more common, leading to full-blown evacuations. 

What's being done about drought?

"Emergency water use restrictions are imminent if voluntary reductions are unsuccessful," the City of Manchester said. 

Forced water rationing is hard on communities, especially those with wasteful habits. Regardless of where you live, you can do your part by using less water. This helps to ensure reservoirs stay at sustainable levels and are able to accommodate long dry spells. 

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