Online “toolbox” features water conservation resources
The Metropolitan Council’s new online Water Conservation Toolbox shares best practices and offers advice to communities faced with growth and water supply challenges.
The toolbox also serves as an important comprehensive planning tool, designed to help communities address the conservation element in their water supply plans, explained Sara Bertelsen, Council planner and lead developer of the toolbox.
A sampling of toolbox resources for water suppliers:
- Tips for post-construction soil preparation
- Model watering restriction ordinances
- Municipal rebate programs for residential purchase of water-efficient appliances
- A water saver kit for residents
- Municipal water conservation rate structure options
"After two years of summer droughts, communities around the metro area are looking for ways to sustain our water infrastructure and supply,” said Klayton Eckles, Woodbury City Engineer. “The Council’s Water Conservation Toolbox brings together tools to address the challenge from both the supply side and the demand side. There are numerous ideas here for city officials providing the service and customers that use the resource."
Programs aim to reduce water demand
Communities invest in conservation programs because the programs expand water supply — and save money — by reducing demand, Bertelsen explained.
When water suppliers fix leaks in their distribution systems, or work with customers to repair residential irrigation heads or replace inefficient water-using appliances, they in a sense create “new” water supplies, Bertelsen said. And conserved water supplies cost a small fraction of the price paid to drill wells, build pipelines, or add/expand treatment facilities, she said.
Landscapes designed with native plants can significantly reduce outdoor water use. Rain gardens, pictured here, also attract native wildlife and can help to improve water quality and lower stormwater runoff. (Photo courtesy City of Burnsville.)
Perusing the toolbox reveals that many communities and public utilities across the country effectively “pay” their customers up front to save water. They offer free or discounted retrofit equipment, best practice advice, and even partial refunds on water bills when customers repair plumbing leaks.
Toolbox is cost effective for communities
Council staff created the conservation toolbox in response to a request from the Metropolitan Area Water Supply Advisory Committee to identify water conservation methods suitable for the Twin Cities region. The toolbox went live online in September.
Bertelsen believes the toolbox provides value to the region. “It is more cost-effective to do the research one time than to have each of the 108 individual suppliers do the research themselves,” she said.
The toolbox also provides flexibility to communities. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to water conservation for communities in the region,” said Council Chair Peter Bell. “The toolbox approach allows communities to custom-fit conservation programs to meet their needs.”
The toolbox also includes resources for water consumers, featuring a variety of tips for both indoor and outdoor water use.