Sprawling development can exacerbate drought’s impact, according to a recent commentary by Kaid Benefield of the Natural Resources Defense Council. The large-lot residential development characteristic of sprawl uses significantly more water than do neighborhoods built to a more walkable scale, contributing to water shortages. Suburban sprawl also spreads more pavement around watersheds than compact growth, sending rainwater into streams and rivers as polluted runoff, rather than into the soil to replenish groundwater.
To learn more: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/how_sprawl_aggravates_the_impa.html