Avoiding Future Urban Water Management Crises
We know that water supply, treatment, distribution and wastewater treatment uses significant amounts of energy, in California nearly 20 percent of all electricity use. We also know that “nega-gallons” of supply from water conservation and efficiency programs are far cheaper than most energy efficiency programs now in place around the country. We also know that pricing is a key tool for reducing water demand, one that is just beginning to be utilized in many parts of the country. In Las Vegas, there are programs in place to reduce water use by 50 percent from recent demand, to meet a dwindling supply of water from the Colorado River’s Lake Mead, its main water supply source, using four main methods: pricing, education, incentives and regulation. The water-energy nexus will continue to challenge both water and energy planners in the decades ahead, where there is not enough energy for future water demands and not enough water for future energy demands, unless we dramatically change how we approach both issues. By recognizing their “Siamese twin” interaction, we’ll be able to make better water resource decisions for the future. Read more in Chapter 4, now available for download from this web site.
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