Pima County Regional Flood Control District Monthly Brown Bag Series
- Speakers: Gary Woodard, Senior Water Policy & Economics Consultant, Montgomery & Associates, and Candice Rupprecht, Water Conservation Program Supervisor, Tucson Water
- Date/Time: Wednesday, March 14, 12 – 1 PM
- Location: 201 North Stone Ave, 9th Floor
Water conservation programs in Pima and Maricopa Counties have evolved, from the housing boom/bubble days between 2000 and 2006, through the housing bust and ensuing “great recession,” and now during the long, slow economic recovery. In the boom period, the goal was to lower gallons per capita per day (GPCD) rates to stretch supplies to meet anticipated increases in demand linked to growing population and to meet ADWR’s conservation mandates. During the recession, funding and staffing for most conservation programs was slashed and some were given broader mandates (e.g., water and energy conservation, or “sustainability”). GPCD rates and overall water deliveries fell, and concern about meeting ADWR goals largely disappeared. There was an unstated question, “Why are we spending money on conservation to drive down demand and further reduce our revenues?”
Now, funding and staffing have rebounded, but no one foresees the kind of population growth rates we used to plan for, and total water deliveries are expected to continue falling for years to come. Conservation programs have adapted and matured, with less emphasis on slogans and increasing block rates, but more targeted conservation measures, new types of rebates, and data collection and analysis.
This pragmatic approach and emphasis on data and analysis is leading some water providers to take into account forecasts of future demand reductions in their planning processes. Also, conservation goals are changing, from a fairly narrow focus on reducing GPCD and peak demand, to a more holistic view, trying to figure out how to balance per capita demand with livability, sustainability, and greenness.