Suggestions for Urban Water Conservation Planning: A New Mexico Perspective

MWR student publication.The need for a comprehensive water conservation plan in New Mexico is evident in its vulnerability to drought, climate change, and population growth. A state-wide plan needs to eliminate nonrevenue water loss and excessive end uses beyond the capacity of current policies. A three-step water conservation planning framework is introduced, and suggestions are presented that may empower New Mexico to cope with 21st-century resource challenges. The first step identifies the potential water and energy savings associated with efficiency and conservation improvements by disaggregating all urban residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors’ end uses. Step two identifies the institutional, statutory, technical, technology, economic, and social barriers to realizing the potential savings. Finally, step three, the implementation phase, involves drafting statutory language as well as regulatory, economic, and educational policies. This report suggests implementing these in three phases to ensure the potential efficiency and conservation is achieved