If water supply is a big problem in the States, can’t we effectively store stormwater in some way and replenish our supply?
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The answer is either “we do”, or “surface area”.
Most of the water we use comes from lakes, rivers, or reservoirs, which are all ultimately fed by rainwater. They each contain more water than merely falls on top of them, though. Water that falls on land slowly seeps through it, following gravity and pressure (i.e. rocks) and eventually finds its way into those bodies.
Collecting water that falls in developed areas is harder because it rolls off the buildings and pavement instead of soaking into the ground, and it collects lots of fun pollutants and trash along the way. Some of those things are very difficult to remove.
However, it’s not uncommon for individuals to collect *some* rainwater for gardening or the like. There is a very big difference between someone funneling the water from their roof into a barrel, and building a system that covers enough area to supply a significant number of people.
We do “collect” water into our sewers, and there are increasing efforts to purify sewage to recycle into drinkable water (the technology isn’t terribly new, even, the International Space Station has been doing this for decades). There are multiple such projects near me in Southern California and another under construction. https://eastcountyawp.com/198/Frequently-Asked-Questions
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