The staff at the Clean Water Report has issued a small booklet on what they deem the "6 Strategies for Success" in dealing with the $276 billion worth of infrastructure the U.S. Water & Wastewater industry needs over the next 20 years.
[http://www.epa.gov/safewater/needssurvey/factsheet.html#2]
The Six Strategies are:
1. Create Economies of Scale. By highlighting "cooperation among public [and] private entities", the Report finds that the multiplicity of statutes and regulations limit the ability of water systems to meet growth and drought challenges. The authors write that "to give priority to well-planned, regional projects will require the cooperation of all of the region's legislators and the governor. Without this key component, all of this work will fall apart."
In my experience, the support and cooperation must begin with the local municipality - Mayors and City Councils are the front line in meeting growth demands with limited resources. At Global Water, in Arizona, we formed Public-Private Partnerships with the cities we serve, and we signed cooperative agreements with neighboring Native American tribes; as a result monthly meetings occur between utility executives and local leaders. We share data, trend analysis, and we coordinate infrastructure planning - all in an effort to build regional water conservation into the daily life of the communities we serve.
2. Use Reclaimed Water to Fill Pressing Needs. The Report discusses the water issues in Florida, where water shortages forced policy makers to diversify the region's water supply - they relied heavily on recycling wastewater (making 'reclaimed water'). The costs were a significant obstacle, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District wound up paying half the cost of reclaimed water projects - golf courses send their bills to the District and get half their money back.
The Report also discusses Southern California's efforts, where 500,000 acre-feet have been recycled according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. The Report states that "reclaimed water is perhaps the key ingredient to meeting [a] region's water needs during a drought."
3. Tap into Sea Water and Brackish Groundwater. While there is no doubt as to the quantity of sea and brackish water, major challenges are highlighted by the authors, "Most important among these are managing desalination concentrate and predicting the long-term performance of brackish groundwater aquifers...The cost of power is [also] a major consideration...Energy costs are related directly to the salt content of the water source and - in the case of seawater desalination - may represent as much as half of a system's operational costs."
Nonetheless, the authors believe that Sea and Brackish water will increase over time, but caution that "sound water-development policies lean toward developing the lower-cost water options first and implementing the more complex and expensive ones later as the need arises."
4. Tap into Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The US EPA provides money to each state to operate a low-interest loan program for water systems. Over the past decade, the authors report that $9.5 billion has been provided to 4,300 projects. The money is used to replace and rehabilitate aging infrastructure - which improves water quality and reliability.
5. Win Support from Clean Water State Revolving Funds. This is the wastewater version of the Drinking Water Fund in Strategy 4. The authors say that over $57 billion has been provided to fund water quality protection projects with low-interest loans.
6. Make the Case for Change. The Report emphasizes building community support with "focus groups and resident surveys" that lead to a dialogue between the utility and the community it serves. They quaote Jim Patterson of Columbus Water Works, who offers this simple and powerful advice, "Talk to the public, and let them talk back to you."
At Global Water we have conducted surveys and focus groups since 2005, and I can assure you that the feedback we have gained has absolutely changed the way we communicate, and heigtened our resolve to provide the most sustainable water system in the Desert Southwest, and to make every effort to have the most knowledgeable customers. Our website, http://www.gwresources.com/ contains all of our ads, all of our drinking water quality reports, a link to our book Total Water Management, seeks feedback from customers, and we will begin an e-newsletter this year for customers who opt-in and want to receive it.
All in all, the Clean Water Report's 6 Strategies book is a must-read for water professionals - the title of this post is the link to the order page, so click on it if you're interested.
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