When seminar moderator Paul Lander made the suggestion “Let’s discuss some of the challenges you face,” the comments came fast and furious …
My customers are willing to pay whatever it takes to keep their lawns green.
How do I get the word out about our water conservation program?
Is there a way to update my billing system so that it’s economical and effective?
On and on it went, each query triggering another volley of concerns. The attendees of AWWA’s training seminar Water Demand and Conservation Management: Planning, Policy, and Rates (April 2007) hit their stride, and as the suggestions poured out and the light bulbs went off, I realized the real reward for attending: Although the issues and obstacles may be diverse, we are all on the same quest to efficiently and economically manage our water supply.
The group in Boston was small, comprising about 20 participants, but the perspectives offered proved to be wide and all-encompassing. In addition to the pages of ideas and insights I brought home with me, one thought kept repeating itself over and over again: These are the voices of Water Efficiency.
From Seattle to Miami, from Kansas City to Corpus Christi, from Orange County to the Great Lakes, we all are looking for ways to become more water efficient. We have so many bright, imaginative, and visionary professionals working in the water industry; it’s a crime not to utilize the vast stores of intelligence and experience available to us. Imagine what could be accomplished if our far-flung voices were brought together into one forum. Successful projects could be discussed. Unforeseen failures could be dissected. Experienced managers could pass along blueprints detailing the procedures to follow to achieve any number of goals, from establishing a successful PR campaign to securing funding for a much needed project or improvement.
Ultimately, we need a venue where all of us can work together to chart a path that leads to a future where water is valued but affordable, plentiful but conserved, protected but available. Above all else, we must work together to ensure fair, equitable, and cost-effective water distribution that rewards conservation where possible but does not deny access in the process.
Water Efficiency aims to be that forum in every aspect. The magazine is a soapbox for ideas that need to be communicated to a larger audience. When you flip through the pages of our magazine or conduct a search on our Web site (www.waterefficiency.net), you will find enough information to ignite a mountain of ideas. You will also discover matter-of-fact solutions for the legion of challenges you face. In the end it will become clear that as we head out together on our journey toward protecting and conserving this valuable resource, Water Efficiency is right there beside you, not only as your travel companion but as your roadmap and toolbox as well.