Rio Grande decision makers rank water conservation strategies |
Views from the River Front: Rio Grande Decision Makers Rank Water Conservation Strategies Elected city officials and water managers in the Rio Grande River Basin of Texas and New Mexico have identified three water conservation strategies as the most viable for their communities:
These strategies were ranked highest of 15 possible water conservation options listed in a survey sent in 2004 to Rio Grande Basin decision makers. The survey was conducted to help city officials identify the most preferred and feasible strategies for persuading residents in the Rio Grande area to adopt water conservation practices. Communities in the Rio Grande Basin are facing critical water In addition to the challenge of rising populations, local officials in these areas are under increasing pressure by state authorities to either develop new sources of water or reduce water demands through For these communities to be able to provide water for new population and economic growth, water conservation is not an option, but an imperative. But what are the most preferred and feasible strategies for conserving water in these areas? And what are the barriers to For answers to these questions, local Rio Grande Basin officials—the people with firsthand knowledge of their cities’ people, strengths, In their survey responses, Rio Grande Basin officials considered all 15 water conservation strategies listed (See Appendix I, Water Conservation Strategies) to be viable. But seven approaches were
Conversely, three strategies were consistently identified as least preferred and least feasible:
The survey also asked the officials to indicate the importance of 10 barriers to water conservation programs. Knowing about such barriers can help cities devise strategies to overcome them and increase Survey respondents indicated that the most important barriers were financial concerns—revenue loss, cost to implement and increased prices to consumers. Other barriers included lack of awareness and Publications
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