As urban population grows and climate change unfolds, water utility companies and city governments are looking for innovative ways to achieve water security. Managing water demand is increasingly considered an efficient way to achieve water security, relying on policies at different levels to make this happen. However, the effects of water demand management policies on actual water consumption are not well documented. The purpose of this study is to analyze water demand management policies and their effects on overall water usage. We analyze the case of Tucson, Arizona, U.S., a city located in a water-scarce region, where population has been growing over the past decades, while their overall water consumption has decreased. We examine water-related policies at different levels (state, county, city, and utility), their caveats, and their effects on water usage. Our analysis shows that policy implementation needs to happen in parallel to management decisions at multiple levels. Lessons learned to reduce their water consumption in cities with water scarcity include the importance of institutional support; the need to collaborate with other organizations; the value of protecting and investing in ecosystem health; and that leveraging and combining existing efforts can result in synergies for water conservation and sustainability.
By Adriana A. Zuniga-Teran and Cecilia Tortajada, 2021. Article published in Water Utility Journal, Volume 28, pages 1-17. https://www.ewra.net/wuj/issue_28.htm