Conservation Options

For the last decade or so, many water utilities have saved money by conserving water rather than finding new sources. Jay Lund, an assistant professor of civil engineering at UC Davis, thinks a lot of money and water can be saved through conservation but that urban growth often demands more complex management strategies. Lund has been studying the pros and cons of different ways of managing scarce urban water supplies. At some point, utilities need to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of short-term and long-term water conservation measures, just as the cost-effectiveness of new water sources are compared, he says. Lund and his students have compared different methods of rationing urban water, including meters and mandated reductions; investigated the theory of allocating limited water supplies; and developed techniques for conservation planning. For example, installing water meters in California's parched Central Valley is not this year's answer to water worries. "Meters make sense for longer term water conservation, but during the drought you can't install them fast enough to be effective," Lund says.

Media Resources

Andy Fell, Research news (emphasis: biological and physical sciences, and engineering), 530-752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu