Depends on your definition of regression and forward progress. Water in cities isn't basic, it's a difficult problem to solve. It can be so easy to point the finger and say people are abdicating their responsibilities, while offering zero solutions.

If you define exponential population growth as forward progress, for instance. Or the status quo of watershed draw and depletion as "forward progress". It has worked well for decades and isn't working anymore. Just because the aquifers are running low does not mean anyone is particularly to blame, or that we have "regressed".