[Vision2020] Water: do the little things first; & are we the cause

[Mark Solomon]

Seattle. Seattle residents use less total water 
now than they did 20 years ago with a 50% 
increase in population. Not per capita. Total.

Mark

At 11:26 AM -0700 4/26/06, Craine Kit wrote:
>As I recall from the water conference last 
>summer, one city (I've  spaced which one) did a 
>toilet exchange program and greatly increased 
>the time they had before growth caused a crisis. 
>Perhaps someone has  a better memory or could 
>provide more details.
>
>Kit Craine
>
>
>On Apr 26, 2006, at 7:05 AM, Nils Peterson wrote:
>
>>On 4/26/06 6:34 AM, "Matt Decker" <mattd2107 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>We need to save water or minimize the amount of usage or finds an  alternate
>>>source WITHOUT halting growth.
>>>Matt
>>
>>Solomon wrote (in part):
>>...
>>Wanapum: Used to be Moscow, sole source of water until 1960. Well  levels
>>dropped from 1930 (beginning of record keeping) until pumping  ceased in 1960
>>with well levels in essential free fall as the aquifer was drained.  It took
>>30 years to recover, but by 1990 it was recharged. Score one for human
>>caused decline. (Pumping resumed in 1990 and well levels are again  falling,
>>following roughly the same curve as the previous pumping period which
>>indicates a dry spell coming for Wanapum wells in about 15-20  years. The
>>Wanapum currently provides @ 30% of Moscow water.)
>>...
>>
>>Both these points help me. I think Decker is right, this  conversation seems
>>to show that the only politically palatable solution is one that  does not
>>impede other values, such as growth. Solomon gives us an answer to my
>>question, when will the bathtub go dry? -- we are using a growing  amount of
>>water and in 15-20 years 30% of the supply will go off line. (Now,  we might
>>just drill more deep wells and keep going but the fiscal bump of  needing to
>>spend more on water infrastructure might be a good wake-up call.)
>>
>>So to the question, what do we do?
>>It seems to me that moves to address the issue need to by systemic,  not
>>acute. They need to be voluntary and/or market driven and not  imposed. They
>>need to minimize their impact on other values, while providing re- education
>>on those values where possible.
>>
>>The toilet swap plan discussed earlier seems to fit the voluntary  and market
>>driven criteria.
>>Simple voluntary conservation measures, especially the lowest cost  moves to
>>reduce irrigation of lawns also seem to fit.
>>
>>Adopting a water budget and enforcing sticking to it is not so  politically
>>easy, and will be opposed as anti-growth or anti-other values. The  City has
>>already gone part way with the PBAC agreement. The City has a  conservation
>>education campaign. What is the next step? When will it be politically
>>feasible to take it?
>>
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