The worst I've ever seen is that people in Jeddah in Saudi where water is sold at a 99% subsidy, so it's extremely cheap. At one point, they were up to 20 days without water and then they would get water for some time during the 21st day. It was just a political issue. They'd rather just make people do without water now and then. Hopefully for a fixed amount of time. Not all day, but just a little bit. This happens in, so you mentioned the statistics from Cairo. Why isn't Egypt draining the Nile doing the things that San Diego and Las Vegas are doing, taking some Mediterranean water, desalinating it.
David Zetland of Leiden University College in the Netherlands and author of Living with Water Scarcity talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the challenges of water management. Issues covered include the sustainability of water supplies, the affordability of water for the poor, the incentives water companies face, and the management of water systems in the poorest countries. Also discussed are the diamond and water paradox, campaigns to reduce water usage, and the role of prices in managing a water system.