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Economist Points To Conservation Issues, Possible Solutions

Marc Albert
/
NSPR

Dozens of water utilities across California will be notifying residential customers of new water restrictions in coming weeks as the grip of California’s epic drought tightens. But some of the most common strategies taken by utilities don’t always pay the highest dividends, according to Kurt Schwabe, associate professor of environmental economics and policy at UC Riverside. He delivered the lecture at Chico State Friday.

Schwabe said some of the water saving concepts championed by policymakers can ironically result in more water being used. Engineering-based solutions, he said, often fail to account for human behavior. Limiting backyard watering to two days a week could lead many to water excessively on designated days. Ultra-efficient shower heads can lead to longer showers.

An economist by trade, Schwabe delved into great detail of how higher pricing impacts usage, saying a tiered rate system produces optimal results.

Schwabe said thrifty water users are unlikely to cut back further and that utilities are getting impressive improvements from heavy water users by employing some psychology.

“Inefficient users, the people who were allowing their water to run on their sidewalks, that were using a lot more than 60 gallons per-person, per-day, leaving the faucet on while brushing their teeth, etc. They actually reduced their water use the most, which is nice, that’s what you’d want.”

The key: letting households know periodically how much water they use compared to similar households.