According to an online database, there are 917 sports stadiums in the United States. The United States has the most sports stadiums in the world, followed by Brazil with 889 stadiums, leading with 28 stadiums. With the construction of the hundreds of stadiums in the United States also comes environmental concerns regarding such constructions. In the United States, acts like the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and National Environmental Protection Act impact the construction of any buildings including stadiums. Discharges of pollutants and waste water are controlled and not to be directed to US waters. It also comes into play to protect communities from pollutants washing away into storm drains which is typically a large problem during the construction stages. The Clean Water Act also “provides the [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)] with the authority to regulate discharges into waters of the United States and also empowers the agency to execute pollution control programs, such as industrial wastewater standards.” To avoid issues with the EPA, constructions of stadiums needs to abide by all federal and local regulations in regards to pollutants, water waste, and other regulations influencing construction. Sports stadiums follow regulations in their construction, but the real concern should come after the stadium is constructed. 

Concerns of overuse of water and unsatisfied community members can show a deeper understanding of the real environmental and societal problems a sports stadium can produce just by operating normally. By looking at sport stadiums’ water consumption, the effects on its community, management concerns for budget, and alternative and more sustainable processes, it can be shown that traditional sports stadiums would benefit from transitioning into green stadiums. Greener stadiums ensure less negative environmental outputs after construction and more revenue for both the stadium and the city that houses it which is an overall positive solution to the problem of water overuse in traditional stadiums and the overlying problem of infrastructural violence.

With money and budget being the main motivator for sports teams to take green actions especially in cases of water, overall, it pays to be green. While stadiums keep being built, many of which without any consideration for being sustainable, it is important to encourage the stadiums to be as environmentally friendly as possible for the sake of the environment, the community of the stadium, and even for the stadium owners and managers dealing with where to spend and where to save. Stadiums that are currently active should transition to green stadiums and install water reduction features. Water conservation is completely doable with investment and should be promoted in sports stadiums. It is beneficial for sports stadiums and their communities both environmentally and economically to transition to green stadiums specifically in regards to water conservation, and new stadiums should be built with sustainability in mind.