The role of the water
purveyor—also known as any public
utility, mutual water company, county water district, or municipality that
delivers drinking water to customers—involves
a variety of responsibilities. Not only do water agencies control and manage
supply and delivery, but they must also handle everything from stormwater and
flood control to wastewater and water quality, habitat protection, and other
environmental concerns. As a result, the water purveyor is the ultimate
multitasker—charged
with overseeing projects and solving problems while making sure that the
community can depend upon clean and reliable water. In other words, the work of
the water purveyor involves integrated water resources management.
Generally
speaking, integrated water resources management involves the consideration of
multiple water management viewpoints when considering courses of action. These
voices include “management agencies with specific
purposes, governmental and stakeholder groups, geographic regions, and
disciplines of knowledge.” This
could involve the organization of a task force or even the collaboration of
different agencies all charged with finding the best solution for the issue at
hand, be it river basin planning, conservation outreach, or aqueduct recharge.
Because there are many competing water needs, it’s important to involving as
many participants in the process as possible.
While
the implementation of integrated water resources management depends upon the
situation, “Total Water Management” has been coined to describe the inclusion
of “integration principals” in
water supply development. In 1996, the AWWA defined Total Water
Management as “the exercise of stewardship of water resources for the greatest
good of society and the environment,” that includes:
* Encouraging
planning and management on a natural water systems basis through a dynamic
process that adapts to changing conditions
* Balancing
competing uses of water through efficient allocation that addresses social
values, cost effectiveness, and environmental benefits and costs
* Requiring
the participation of all units of government and stakeholders in decision-making
through a process of coordination and conflict resolution
* Promoting
water conservation, reuse, source protection, and supply development to enhance
water quality and quantity
* Fostering
public health, safety, and community goodwill
Following
in that same vein, last week the US House of Representatives passed the National
Water Research and Development Initiative Act. Essentially, the bill legislates
total water management by mandating the coordination of national research and
development efforts to “provide a clear path forward to ensure adequate water
supplies for generations to come.”
Highlights
of the bill include:
* The
creation of a National Water Initiative Coordination Office for technical and
administrative support, as well as public “point of contact”
* The
requirement that the president establish or designate an interagency committee
that will include representation from all federal agencies dealing with water so
that a National Water Research and Development Initiative can be implemented in
order to improve federal activities on water, including research, development,
demonstration, data collection and dissemination, education, and technology
transfer
* The
interagency committee would be responsible for the implementation of a national
water census, the development of new water technologies and techniques, the
development of tools to facilitate water resource conflicts, the development of
information technology systems to enhance water quality and supply, the
improvement of hydrologic prediction models, an enhanced understanding related
to ecosystem services, and an analyses of the energy-water nexus
In a
statement, bill author and Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon
(D-TN) says, “Coordination of federal agency activities and a stronger
partnership with state, local, and tribal governments will ensure that federal
programs are focused on areas of greatest concern, and that our efforts are
complementary and effective.”
So
what do you think? Is integrated water resource management the ultimate water
efficiency practice? And if it is, will the National Water Research and
Development Initiative Act pave the way for nationwide efficiency
programs?
Click here for more information on the bill.