As utility companies confront water stresses such as drought, floods, and growing population size with increasing frequency, they are being forced to adjust the way in which they think about and manage these stresses. Many recognize that they must adapt planning strategies that look to the future in order to meet the needs of the future. In an article that recently appeared on the website for the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, author Dr. Margaret Cherne-Hendrick identifies four significant components of the “Water Utility of the Future:”
- The “True cost of water.” Cherne-Hendrick’s article highlights the incongruous pricing of water when compared to its value. The US enjoys water costs that are significantly lower than the total costs of services necessary to provide the water. However, many communities are seeing price increases in their utility bills as companies struggle to maintain and update infrastructure. She further argues that utility companies have to be open to new and innovative financial approaches for investments and revenue.
- Sustainable. The author emphasizes the importance of thinking in terms of sustainable yields, rather than safe yields. She explains that safe yields “aim to match groundwater withdrawal with groundwater recharge” and this method doesn’t account for factors that lead to deficits over time; sustainable yields “employ metrics that can ensure the long-term resilience of a groundwater system, explicitly incorporating the needs of the environment.”[1] Cherne-Hendrick argues that companies must incorporate sustainability both into their daily operations as well as long-term planning.
- Resilient. The author contends that The Water Utility of the Future must be prepared for and quickly adapt to environmental challenges (climate change) and financial challenges (infrastructure needs).
- Integrated. Perhaps the most important attribute of the Water Utility of the Future, integration refers to a different way of thinking about water systems. Integration moves away from traditional centralized and separate systems for drinking water, sewer, wastewater and stormwater and moves toward a “hybrid approach that combines centralized and decentralized systems and integrates management across these systems.”[2]
Some communities are already moving to implement these ideas, like San Antonio and Austin, urban communities that have been deeply affected by drought, flooding and population growth in the past and certainly will face them at some point in the future. Cherne-Hendrick urges all communities to adopt practices to become aWater Utility of the Future now.
[1] Cherne-Hendrick, Margaret, and Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy. Texas Saddles up for the “Water Utility of the Future”, 25 Apr. 2018, cgmf.org/blog-entry/296/Texas-saddles-up-for-the-%E2%80%9CWater-Utility-of-the-Future.html.
[2] Cherne-Hendrick, Margaret, and Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy. Texas Saddles up for the “Water Utility of the Future”, 25 Apr. 2018, cgmf.org/blog-entry/296/Texas-saddles-up-for-the-%E2%80%9CWater-Utility-of-the-Future.html.
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