Empowering Municipal Water Utilities To Pursue Aggressive Conservation Programs
Kenney, Douglas S 1
1 CU Law, Western Water Policy Program
Municipal water utilities are frequently encouraged to show leadership in designing and implementing programs to achieve water conservation, and many have been remarkably successful in doing so. However, due to the institutional framework governing how water utilities operate, conservation creates serious problems for the water utilities. One of those problems is revenue instability, as utilities pay their bills by selling water, and conservation, by definition, means reduced water sales. Given this reality, achieving greater water conservation may require rethinking how public water utilities are structured and managed, and how water rates are established.
Kenney, Douglas S. 2014. Understanding Utility Disincentives to Water Conservation as a Means of Adapting to Climate Change Pressures. Journal – American Water Works Association, 106(1):36-46, January. http://wwa.colorado.edu/publications/pdfs/2014.01.pdf
Kenney, Douglas S., et al. 2011. Relative Costs of New Water Supply Options for Front Range Cities: Phase 2 Report. Report to the Colorado Water Conservation Board. http://www.waterpolicy.info/docs/KenneyetalPhase2RelativeCostsofWater.pdf