Water Conservation Toolbox: Benefits and Costs
A cost-benefit tool is provided here to evaluate the costs and benefits of various water conservation programs. Water Conservation Cost-Benefit Tool
Benefits**
- Reduced cost for chemicals and energy
- Improved local environment (instream flows, wetlands protection, topsoil preservation)
- Pollution prevention (reduced energy combustion by-products and chemical use)
- Reduced need for construction and operation of alternative supply systems
- Improved safe yield and pumping reliability in wells
- Reduced peak demand
- Smaller water supply facilities (reservoirs, storage tanks, wells, pumps, motors, etc.)
- Reduced operation and maintenance costs
- Reduced groundwater overdraft and contamination
- Improved long-term water utility revenue stability
- Reduced cost for water, sewer and associated electric and gas utility services
- Reduced costs for clothes-washing and dishwashing detergents
- Reduced size and extended septic system life
- Reduced runoff, soil erosion and costs for stormwater management
- Creation of distinctive, attractive properties
- Reduced use of and cost for lawn chemicals
- Reduced energy costs for landscaping maintenance
- Reduced air pollution and noise from gasoline-powered mowers and landscape equipment
- Extended life for lawn-mowing and equipment and irrigation systems
- Preservation of wildlife habitat and instream flows
- Reduced plant disease, rot and mortality caused by over watering
Costs**
- Resistance to changing outdoor water use habits
- Potential short-term water utility revenue instability and more frequent rate adjustments during the years when outdoor demand drops as a result of conservation
- Cost of any necessary renovation of existing plumbing, appliance, or related connections
- Change in water use habits
- Price of conservation device
- Costs to install device
- Increased time and care for maintenance during the transition from a conventional to a water-efficient landscape
- Difficulty accepting the look of low-water-use and native plans compared with water-intensive turf and exotic imported plants
- Potential reduction in business among conventional green industry product and service providers
*Source: Maddaus, William, Gwendolyn Gleason and John Darmody. Integrating Conservation into Water Supply Planning.
** Source: Vickers, Amy. Handbook of Water Use and Conservation. Amherst, Massachusetts, 2001.