English – The Conversation | Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future by Renee Obringer, Assistant Professor in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Penn State
The Denver suburb of Castle Rock, Colo., limits water use in future developments. Homeowners are embracing water-efficient yards. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesWhen a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing low-flow devices.
While demand management techniques like these have had a lot of success in reducing water use, our new research suggests that they may not be effective enough in the face of climate change.
We looked at three cities in the Colorado River Basin – Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver – to understand what each could do to increase demand management amid water shortages and how far those methods could go as temperatures rise and the Colorado River’s flow weakens.
Colorado River states’ immediate challenge
Getting people involved can change attitudes
Las Vegas has water investigators who can issue tickets for illegal water use.
Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
When participatory demand management works
Demand management is not always enough
What else cities can do
Carlsbad, Calif., on the Pacific Ocean in San Diego County, built a desalination plant to make seawater drinkable. It produces 50 million gallons a day, but that water is among the costliest in the region.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Read more: https://theconversation.com/water-conservation-works-but-climate-change-is-outpacing-it-phoenix-denver-and-las-vegas-offer-a-glimpse-of-the-future-279837
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