Report urges utilities to lead charge against water woes
Jerd Smith, Rocky Mountain News
Published July 11, 2007 at midnight
Western water utilities should take the lead in finding innovative ways to cope with water shortages and other problems triggered by global warming, according to a report released Tuesday.
"The debate is over about whether it's real," said Barry Nelson, co-author of the Natural Resources Defense Council report, titled "In Hot Water: Water Management Strategies to Weather the Effects of Global Warming."
"But the discussion is just beginning about how we respond. Urban water agencies understand this is a significant new challenge," he said.
Nelson credits several Western cities, including Denver, with moving quickly to begin assessing global warming's impact on water supplies.
But Colorado faces critical problems that need to be addressed quickly, he said.
"Several factors suggest real cause for concern," Nelson said. "Higher temps mean more water is going to evaporate rather than run off into our rivers. We should be prepared to see a permanent reduction in Colorado River flows."
Forging new partnerships will be key, the report suggests. For instance, water agencies might join forces with electric utilities to push for conservation, because collecting and delivering water is energy intense.
"We looked at the amount of energy it takes to meet our water needs - pumping it, treating it, cooling it, heating it. It's responsible for an enormous amount of energy use," Nelson said. "So we think that means energy utilities should be partnering with water conservation programs because when people save water, they save energy."
It also suggests that water utilities form new regional partnerships to address shortages and water quality issues that likely extend beyond traditional service boundaries.
Despite the West's legendary inability to cooperate where water is concerned, Nelson said that water agencies are well-suited for the task.
"People look to their water agencies to help them identify major water issues."
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