Water Resources Management - Practices of Irrigation and On-farm Water Management - page 159

Discussion
There may be considerable variations in the water savings among the demand side
measures. The appropriateness of different types of demand side measures may be a
function of factors related to value of water, locality, financial capacity and habitat of
the farmers, etc. Any combination of the measures or awareness campaign (suitable
for the site concern) may be implemented. The effectiveness of some measures is
known to depend on the presence of others. For instance, while metering can lead to
a short-term 30-50% reduction in demand, water consumption can return to previ-
ous levels, if metering is not combined with pricing rate structures that tie the cost to
the amount used. The long-term effectiveness of some measures can decline if cer-
tain considerations are not accounted for implementing them. For example, while
increasing block rates have the potential to be effective conservation measures, to
remain effective over the long term they must be keyed to inflation. Demographic
factors such as per capita income should also be considered in setting rates. The
nominal price of water would have to be raised annually by the rate of inflation plus
the rate of change in real income simply to maintain constant rather than increasing
water use.
The water conservation(WC)/demand management (DM) principles should be
integrated fully into water supply planning, i.e., water potentially produced through
increased efficiency, and decreased losses should be considered alongside other
options at the beginning of supply-planning processes. Although the policy and legal
framework for implementing WC/DM has been established in many countries, very
few measures have been put in place. Water management entities should establish
specific targets/standards for water use efficiency and allowable loss for each water
sector and develop strategies to achieve those targets.
5.3.1.3 Obstacles to Implement Demand Management
Large capital projects result in substantial income for construction contractors,
consulting firms, equipment and material suppliers, lending institutions, and gov-
ernment and other organizations. Historically, an extensive industry has developed
around the glove attachment to supply-side solutions, while demand and conser-
vation solutions have not attracted the same level of attention. Recently, in many
countries, the private sector has become increasingly attracted to water supply in
the urban sector, which could introduce the profit motive to implementing WC/DM
measures.
Water produced through WC/DM can be 65-80% less expensive than water
developed through new infrastructure. Despite the obvious economic benefits of
water conservation and demand management, the WC/DM approach always cannot
be implemented due to obstacles. It is necessary to identify and acknowledge these
constraints in order to develop strategies to address them. The following are some
of the obstacles and constraints:
(a) Financial/economic
- Certain water conservation/demand (WC/DM) management measures
depend on financial outlay by end users, who may not have adequate
resources