Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1. Illustration of the stakeholder-oriented water valuation process for the NYC Watershed Agreement
Element in the
process
Explanation for the NYC Watershed case
Triggers and key
stakeholders
EPA Surface Water Treatment Rules issued in 1989 require NYC to protect water
sources or build filtration plants for its drinking water. Key stakeholders are NYC,
EPA, watershed communities
Main objectives and
associated
stakeholders
Safe and reliable drinking water supply - EPA and NYC
Financial costs within reasonable limits for drinking water supply - NYC
Local economic development opportunities - watershed communities
Current drinking water supply meets health criteria, but fear is that increased human
activity in watersheds threatens ability to meet standards in future, especially for
pathogens and phosphorus (ref: NRC, 2000)
Costs for NYC drinking water supply: US$ 450 million for water supply and
wastewater collection in 2002, so presumably less in the 1990s (ref: NYC, 2002)
Economic development in watersheds: local economic indicators score low in
comparison to NYC and national averages. For instance, 1996 per capita personal
income (PCPI) was US$ 18 743 for the non-metropolitan areas in New York State,
which include the NYC watershed area; PCPI was US$ 29 320 for metropolitan
area; for US as a whole it was US$ 24 175 (ref: BEA, 2005).
Values - current
practices (current
values here taken as
1996 values)
Build filtration plant (option for NYC)
Request filtration avoidance based on unilaterally imposed watershed rules (option
for NYC)
Request filtration avoidance based on agreement NYC and watershed communities
to control pollution on voluntary basis (joint option for NYC & watershed
communities)
Possible measures
Impacts of measures
Filtration plant: reliable and safe drinking water supply, investment of US$ 6-8 billion
and annual operating costs of US$ 300 million (costs for NYC) (ref: NRC, 2000)
Filtration avoidance based on strict watershed rules: impaired economic
development (economic impact: local counties to remain at bottom end of state and
national lists, affected stakeholders: watershed communities); reliable and safe
drinking water supply, with possibly some remaining risk of pathogen outbreaks
(impacts relevant for NYC and EPA)
Filtration avoidance based on agreement and compensation payments: slightly
reduced range of options for economic development but compensation and support
for certain types of economic activities (such as best practices for farms) (watershed
communities); reliable and safe drinking water supply, with some remaining risk of
pathogen outbreaks (impacts relevant for NYC and EPA); investment of
US$ 1.5 billion over 10 year period by NYC (ref: NRC, 2000)
Choice
Request filtration avoidance based on strict watershed rules and regulations,
together with some voluntary activities with watershed communities (unilateral
decision by NYC)
Implementation -
Trigger round 2
New watershed rules announced by NYC, appealed by watershed communities in
lawsuit. Impasse, need for external intervention by a new stakeholder: the Governor
of New York State
Key objectives
As above plus the objective of New York State for healthy regional development,
balancing the urban and rural interests in the state
Measures
As above but minus the option of unilateral imposition of stricter rules by NYC
Choice
Filtration avoidance based on agreement among NYC and watershed communities
(i.e. payment for environmental service scheme)
Agreement under implementation since 1999, through various watershed
programmes. Impacts are improved management practices on farms, upgrading of
wastewater treatment plants in watershed towns, rehabilitation of numerous septic
tanks (ref: Brown, 2000)
A first evaluation of the agreement has been executed by the National Research
Council in 2000 upon request of NYC (source: NRC, 2000)
Monitoring water quality in reservoirs is done continuously and will determine
whether or not additional activities are required to meet the objectives of safe and
reliable drinking water supply.
Implementation,
monitoring and
evaluation
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