Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
facture future risks and create new environments that will require additional hands-on at-
tention. Building new working reservoirs to increase water supplies or piping water to con-
sumers far from original sources can also create a false sense of security and assumptions
about future availability. Like levees and flood control measures, water supply technolo-
gies can benefit specific constituencies and shift risk without eliminating hazards or fully
identifying root problems.
Communities everywhere would be best off maintaining and repairing existing infra-
structure to maximize existing supply and delivery systems. Repairs should supersede new
construction where practical. But why the rush to create new supplies? A public water util-
ity manager has a tough job: delivering inexpensive cheap water to customers' homes and
businesses today while preparing for tomorrow. Clean water is expensive to make and de-
liver, but managers are expected to keep water bills low. However, developing a new water
supply, such as a reservoir, is not as easy as it sounds. As a colleague once said, “Building
a new reservoir is like opening a new bank account. Without an influx of rain or cash, the
reservoir and account will be empty.” So what can communities in drought-prone regions
do before investing in a reservoir? In terms of municipal water supply, there is a “hidden
reservoir” filling underground because of broken water mains, leaky pipes, and faulty wa-
able to avoid costly alternatives that may not have been justified in the first place or could
become prohibitively expensive for local tax- and ratepayers in the long run. There are also
many reuse options—so-called gray and purple water systems—that utilize treated water
for specific applications such as irrigation and energy generation, thus freeing up costly
treated water for human use. Water suppliers utilizing these first-level and low-hanging-
fruit options have grown supply in tandem with population growth.
Last but not least, individual behavior matters. Just as individuals make history, they also
make critical decisions about energy and water on a daily basis. Water problems and solu-
tions are local, but that does not mean that nonlocal ideas and proposals will not work. At
a minimum, all decisions must be informed decisions: Citizens must have a basic under-
standing of where their drinking water comes from and where it goes for treatment, the
energy costs of delivery and treatment, and why what happens on the land or what is dis-
charged into streams affects water quality, the cost of water treatment, and economic health.
Furthermore, since climate change will present another suite of challenges, our energy and
water behaviors matter. According to the National Climate Assessment, southeastern com-
munities face the threat of sea level rise, excessive heat events, and continued water stress.
Choosing less-water-intensive energy systems, such as solar or wind generation, can reduce
individuals will adopt smart energy and water behaviors.
