Fighting water with water: Behavioral change versus climate change

Modern water infrastructure is designed to make water invisible; as a result, the majority of water customers have no understanding of the tour their water takes from its origin to treatment to household to treatment again and back to the source. Rainfall is addressed by flood control and is shuttle...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal - American Water Works Association Vol. 103; no. 6; pp. 54 - 60
Main Authors STRASSBERG, VALERIE, LANCASTER, BRAD
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Denver American Water Works Association 01.06.2011
Subjects
Behavior modification
Bioretention areas
Climate change
Communities
Community relations
Conservation
Creeks & streams
Drinking water
Ecosystems
environmental issues
Graywater
Infrastructure
Integrated Resource Planning
Population
Potable water
Public safety
Rain
Rainfall
Reuse
Rivers
Runoff
Soil water
Storm Water
Stormwater
Stormwater management
Strategic management
Sustainable development
Sustainable water management
Wastewater treatment
Water quality
Water resources
Water resources management
Water rights
Water treatment
United States > US
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Summary:Modern water infrastructure is designed to make water invisible; as a result, the majority of water customers have no understanding of the tour their water takes from its origin to treatment to household to treatment again and back to the source. Rainfall is addressed by flood control and is shuttled away into expensive and maintenance‐intensive infrastructure. These systems have three major effects on sustainability: alteration of the natural ecosystems; increased reliance on engineered infrastructure; and, reliance on imported resources rather than local onsite resources. This article gives water suppliers strategies for implementing integrated water resource management concepts into existing and future development. Specific examples of laws and initiatives that include community engagement in improving onsite control and use of storm water and graywater and decreasing potable water demand are provided. By engaging the community and improving understanding of the constructed environment, utility managers can begin to forge a new path that manages water with water by slowing, spreading, and reusing more of its flow.
ISSN:0003-150X
1551-8833
DOI:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2011.tb11472.x