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Municipal Water Demand, Conservation, and Drought Planning
Recent population growth throughout the Southwest, together with limited opportunities to augment supply, have increased the importance of demand management as a means of adapting to climate variability and change. The Western Water Assessment turned its attention to water demand, conservation, and drought planning in the spring of 2002 when it became apparent that Colorado was entering a severe drought. WWA research has examined the effectiveness of drought response measures enacted by several Colorado Front Range municipalities, as well as the extent of municipal drought planning since 2002 and how that planning utilizes climate information. WWA has also compiled an extensive review of the literature that summarizes studies of both utility and non-utility controlled factors influencing demand. These efforts are in furtherance of WWA’s mission to “identify and characterize regional vulnerabilities to climate variability and change” and “to develop information to assist water-resource decision-makers throughout the Intermountain West.”
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