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When a drought hits, which water system best survives thecrisis: the system that relies on short-term restrictions or the onethat has planned ahead and instituted conservation measuresbefore the drought's onset?This article looks at the various factors that complicate therelationship between water conservation and drought. These includebaseline water-use patterns, system growth rates, water suppliesand water rights, storage capacity, and the nature of the droughtitself. A mathematical model was used to simulate a 25-year historyfor a "typical" water system serving an average community of residentialcustomers. Total annual household use was calculated, aswell as annual average indoor use and outdoor use. The model alsoassigned a system supply level and storage capacity.In the ninth year of its "history," the community experiencesthe onset of what eventually becomes a long-term drought. Themodel generates two scenarios in response to this event. In thefirst, the water provider is unprepared for the drought and relieson restrictions to make up for dwindling supplies. In the second,system managers begin adopting conservation measures in thefirst year of the community's history and continue implementingthem gradually. By the time the drought hits, water use has beenreduced sufficiently enough that the system is able to successfullyweather the crisis.In most cases, a long-range water conservation and efficiencyprogram will outperform water rationing and restrictions as aresponse to drought. Includes table, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. 98 - No. 2 Published: 02/01/2006 Number of Pages: 8File Size: 1 file , 260 KB