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Conserving Municipal & Industrial Water

Why Conserving Municipal and Industrial Water Matters

Some of the largest and fastest growing cities in the nation are found in the Colorado River Basin. While the municipal and industrial sectors in the Basin currently use less than 20% of the annual water supply, the trends for continued growth put greater pressure on urban and industrial water users to be as efficient as possible in water management going forward. 

Conservation is one of the most cost-effective ways to stretch increasingly limited water supplies in the Colorado River Basin and boost resilience. Improving water conservation across both sectors offers a multitude of benefits, including lower water and energy costs, preventing expensive and unnecessary water supply projects, improving economic resilience through job creation and water-smart development, reducing pressure on rivers and existing water supplies, and lowering energy use and emissions through reduced water demand.

How To Improve Municipal and Industrial Water Efficiency

  • On the municipal front, urban water conservation includes low-use water appliances, leak detection systems, and replacing thirsty lawns with water-wise landscapes. These measures have been highly effective and allowed municipalities across the region to consistently reduce per capita water use. Despite these gains, municipal demand for water is the fastest growing “need” in the Colorado River Basin, making additional conservation essential.
  • On the industrial front, water powers countless industries across the Colorado River Basin, from power plant cooling to semiconductor manufacturing. Industrial water efficiency includes practices such as water recycling and re-use and switching to equipment like wet-cooling systems and newer, zero-water dry cooling systems. Through these changes, industries can lead the way toward responsible water management while improving their water and economic security.

What Does It Look Like on the Ground?

How Do We Scale It?

  • In the municipal sector, expand what is already working by funding more conservation and efficiency programs, re-use infrastructure, and water-smart development. Collaboration between municipal water providers across the Basin can lead to large-scale opportunities that yield greater water savings. 
  • For the industrial sector, provide companies with incentives like tax credits and deductions to reduce costs and deliver the return on investment to companies interested in conservation and re-use projects.