JBL: The Last Drop

Vince Young is college football's Google (GOOG Quote). The University of Texas quarterback had huge expectations placed on him and exceeded them all. I believe Young played the greatest football game I have ever seen. Of course, if I was a USC fan I would probably disagree. Congratulations to my Texas Longhorns, and to Coach Mack Brown for getting the monkey off of his back.

In honor of Texas defeating a great USC team to win the NCAA football championship, I can't help but go with a Texas theme this week. Since you can't invest in the Alamo, what better Texas theme than water?

In a world covered in water we are running out of potable water and ways to transport it. Now, before you start thinking I have been hit over the head with too many chairs in my professional wrestling career, let me give you the facts. Most importantly, I will show you how to make money off of a coming boom in the water business, with Pentair (PNR Quote) and Insituform Technologies (INSU Quote) among my favorites.

You can also buy water rights outright as T. Boone Pickens and the Bass brothers are doing. However, this is a big money game with a lot at stake. How much is at stake? Consider:

Ground water levels in the Chicago area have declined as much as 900 feet in the sandstone aquifer underlying the city and eastern Wisconsin. In Houston ground water has declined about 400 feet. The Tucson and Phoenix areas have seen a decline of 300 to 500 feet.

The Colorado River has not reached the Gulf of California for many years, due to the upstream water needs. Lake Powell has dropped by more than 50%.

Water level monitoring has taken place in some states. However, except for the High Plains Aquifer, aquifers that cross state boundaries have no coordinated level of monitoring.

Ground water supplies roughly 50% of Americans' direct needs. Ground water provides around 40% of the nation's public-water supply. In the past 30 years water demand has tripled while the population has grown by just 50%.

In addition, infrastructure is antiquated at best. A lot of the pipes were laid more than a century ago. It is estimated that the U.S. will need to spend up to $500 billion to replace these pipes; another $300 billion will be need for new water treatment plants. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 20% of the water transported leaks out of cracks in the pipes. The ability to fix pipe while still in the ground is what makes Insituform Technologies so special.

To view John Layfield's video take of this celebrity investor column, click here.