2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
6/08/2017 | 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM | DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE VALUE WATER? | 301B
DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE VALUE WATER?
Economists describe water as an economic good; this provides the context for developing pricing policies which can promote wise management and resource sustainability. Water utilities are faced with increasing (and largely fixed) costs for providing water and wastewater services, while water usage per capita has declined, primarily due to the requirement for water efficient fixtures. This has created a conundrum for utilities, particularly those who have implemented volumetric pricing structures to promote conservation: the desire for increased revenues equates to the need for increased, rather than decreased volumetric usage. To insure fiscal sustainability, utilities may reduce their reliance on variable charges (volumetric) by increasing their base charges, but this reduces the conservation/price signal, particularly for lower volume users. Another option for pricing, based on quality, would assess a higher value to more pristine, higher quality water, and a lower value to source waters of lower quality. Such a paradigm shift in pricing may require a significant shift in political thinking, but the advantage is that pricing differentials based on quality could generate significant revenues for resource management and protection.
- C36 Water Resource Management
- C12 Conservation Ecology
- S08 Ecosystem Services and Pricing Water for Freshwater Conservation
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Presenters/Authors
Diane Lauritsen
(), Mount Pleasant Waterworks, ddlauritsen@comcast.net;
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -