The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) and the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) released their 2017 Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard this week, and the results around climate resiliency planning were eye-opening.
Most US states have a long way to go to shore up their legal frameworks and improve requirements contributing to water conservation, efficiency, and long-term resiliency, according to the AWE and ELI. The two nonprofits released the first scorecard in 2012. This five-year update gives two grades to each state: one for climate resiliency planning and another for efficiency and conservation.
The national average for both grades was C, although state scores had a significant range, the organizations said.
For climate resiliency, points were awarded to plans and laws if their effect was to mitigate the impact of conditions associated with climate change, the report explained.
“Despite the broad spectrum of plans and laws that could be considered, 23 states had no plans of any kind regarding resiliency and climate adaptation,” the report says. “Only three states had any kind of guidance or provisions in place requiring action on the part of water or wastewater systems to plan for climate change-related drought, flooding and system stability, and capacity: Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.”
Additional report highlights:
- California and Texas both received an A- for water efficiency and conservation, the highest grades in the country
- Colorado and Illinois have legislatively linked water efficiency requirements for toilets, urinals, shower heads, and other fixtures to the WaterSense standard
- Georgia and New York supplemented state plumbing and building codes with water efficiency requirements for fixtures that are more stringent than the national standards
- More than half of all states saw their water efficiency and conservation grades improve
- Only six states had declines in efficiency and conservation scores
- Oregon scored the only A and California scored the only A- for climate resiliency planning
- Texas, Arizona, and Georgia were in the top five for conservation and efficiency, but all received Ds for climate resiliency planning
The expectation of water shortages is growing nationally, AWE and ELI say, citing recent examples from California, Montana, Texas, and Tennessee.
“In the face of such critical supply challenges, state-level laws and policies are a powerful means of achieving water conservation and efficiency,” the report reads. “By extending supplies, water conservation and efficiency ensure the health and vibrancy of communities and businesses nationwide.”
Nelson Switzer, chief sustainability officer of Nestlé Waters North America, spoke to Environmental Leader last year about water savings. “The challenge: Is there enough water to service everything — all the people, the industries, the environmental demands?” he said. “If we manage the system appropriately, the answer is yes.”
The 3rd Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference takes place May 15 – 17, 2018 in Denver. Learn more here.
