Droughtbusters

The Singapore solution has four main "faucets." First, 17 reservoirs, many of which were created by damming rivers, collect the nation's 100 in. (254 cm) of annual rainfall. Second, all rain that flows into the city sewers gets recycled as drinking water. Third, the county desalinates water from the surrounding seas to supply another 10% of its drinking water. Most impressive, however, is Singapore's $3 billion wastewater-recycling system, which channels all water from toilets and other household uses into a 30-mile (48 km) underground tunnel, then sends it out to four water-recycling plants that use reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light for purification. This water is not reused for drinking but instead gets piped to the island's silicon-wafer plants for use in their water-intensive manufacturing process. The recycled water is also used to cool commercial air-conditioning systems in the country's many high-rise buildings.

The government's tiered pricing structure penalizes those who use too much water. Use of dual-flush toilets (which vary the amount of water per flush for liquid or solid waste) and other efficient appliances is strongly encouraged.

"They've become the world's ultimate water conservationists," notes Cynthia Barnett, author of Blue Revolution, a new book on water scarcity. In 2010, Singaporeans used just 41 gal. (155 L) of water per person per day--a fraction of that consumed by Americans--all while enjoying one of the highest standards of living on earth. Even the city's many reservoirs double as water parks, where boating and other aquatic sports can be enjoyed by all. It's real-world proof that conservation doesn't have to mean deprivation.