Intelligent Use of Water Summit strikes the perfect note
19 Apr, 2010 By: Ron Hall Landscape ManagementWASHINGTON — Perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps not. But the timing of Rain Bird’s annual Intelligent Use of Water (IUOW) Summit April 15 here struck exactly the right note just days before the week-long Earth Day events planned in our nation’s capital, the climax being a massive Earth Day Climate Rally April 25.
The Summit, which took place in the Baird Auditorium in the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution, unfolded to an audience of about 150 policymakers, environmentalists, students and the curious. The size of the audience, however, was no reflection on the value of information offered by the presenters.
Indeed, the collective message of the presenters was direct — the availability, quality and
cost of fresh water is woven into all other environmental factors daily impacting our lives, as well as being married to the availability and cost of energy.
“This stuff is all tied together,” said Doug Bennett, conservation manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). “Water, energy, air quality, fuel; it’s all connected.” Acknowledging that and also that outdoor water use (i.e. landscape irrigation) drives peak demand in most communities across the nation, the IUOW’s take-home message was that the use of treated water to keep lawns green will come under increasing scrutiny and restrictions, and that the cost of water will rise — in many communities, significantly.
Water, in terms of cost anyway, is the least-valued resource in the United States. In many cities, consumers do not actually pay for the water, which they regard as a free resource. Their water bills reflect the cost of treating and delivering the water, the salaries of water department employees and an added-in amount required for maintaining and improving infrastructure. Most consumers would blanch at the cost of developing, treating and delivering new sources of fresh water to their homes — things such as acquiring new property, going through the lengthy permitting process, the construction of reservoirs and new water treatment facilities and delivery systems.
“Peaking is what requires us to have lots of infrastructure,” stressed Bennett. And, of course, infrastructure — treatment facilities, pumps, pipes, not to mention new sources of water and the energy required to treat and move water — is incredibly expensive, Bennett added.
His water authority, responsible for providing water to 2.5 million people in and around Las Vegas, relies upon a multi-faceted approach to encourage conservation, which should be obvious given that people there live in a desert. The SNWA, like other progressive water districts, encourages wise water use through:
- consumer education;
- regulation;
- water pricing that charges consumers more as they use more; and
- incentives that reward consumers for conserving.
Unlike most other water districts in the United States — at least those not located in the arid U.S. Southwest — the SNWA also strictly regulates the amount of turfgrass allowed on homeowners’ properties. Since 2003, lawns have been prohibited on the front yards of new homes built within the SNWA service region, and they’re limited to 50% of properties’ landscaped area. Also, ornamental lawns are not allowed on non-residential properties. Said Bennett: “In reality, a 7-11 does not need a lawn.”
Yes, the water situation in Las Vegas is unique in the United States. Almost 40 million people travel there each year to enjoy its weather and many attractions, including incredible water displays at its casinos and resorts. What they don’t realize is how little water these huge entertainment palaces actually use, recycling practically all of their indoor water use, and accounting for just 3% of the regions consumption while accounting for 70% of its economy. The water displays, in spite of their splash, actually constitute a tiny fraction of the footprint within Las Vegas, said Bennett, showing an aerial image of the Strip.
Bennett was one of six presenters at the IUOW Summit. The others were:
- Paul Gobel, Public Works Director, Indian Wells, CA
- Karen Guz, Director of Conservation, San Antonio Water System
- Elizabeth Hurst, Community Outreach and Education Coordinator, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, CA
- Mark Risse, Ph.D., P.E., Power Professor of Water Policy, University of Georgia Extension
- Karla Wilson, Sustinability Consultant, EcoWorks Unlimited, St. Louis
Continue reading Landscape Management as we provide additional coverage of the IOUW Summit in celebration of Earth Day, but more so as a reminder of incredible importance of our water resources.
Meanwhile, please check out the IUOW Summit, and information from the previous 10 Summits sponsored by Rain Bird, by clicking on www.rainbird.com/corporate/IUOW/index.htm.
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