Water Conservation in the City of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Report and presentation completed by students enrolled in PA 5721: Energy and Environmental Policy, taught by Stephen Rose and Vivek Bhandari in fall 2016.This project was completed as part of the 2016-2017 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Brooklyn Park. With a growing population, Brooklyn Park is considering the future and searching for ways to reduce the use of potable water in the city. The goal of this project was to assess current water usage, determine barriers to water conservation by businesses and residents, and evaluate how city development practices may be impacting future water supply. Brooklyn Park project lead Jon Watson worked with a team of students in PA 5721: Energy and Environmental Policy, to develop recommendations related to water billing structure, irrigation practices, and education and outreach. The students' final report and presentation are available.This project was supported by the Resilient Communities Project (RCP), a program at the University of Minnesota whose mission is to connect communities in Minnesota with U of MN faculty and students to advance local sustainability and resilience through collaborative, course-based projects. RCP is a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). More information at http://www.rcp.umn.edu