Water Conservation Success & Remaining Potential

1. Water Conservation Success & Remaining Potential How do we accelerate progress? Juliet Christian-Smith Pacific Institute

2. California Can Conserve, and Has! • Urban • Since 1980 per capita water use has decreased by up to 33% in some regions • Now at 192 gallons per capita per day • Agriculture • Has invested approximately $1.5 billion of in water conservation and efficiency upgrades (AWMC 2009) • 60% of irrigated acreage is gravity-fed (2001) How do we accelerate progress?

3. 1) Provide Information

4. Waste Not, Want Not: Urban Water Conservation Potential Potential Water Savings Averages 33%

5. Sustaining California Agriculture:Agricultural Water Conservation Potential • Efficient Irrigation Technology – shifting from flood irrigation to sprinkler and drip systems; • Improved Irrigation Scheduling – using local climate and soil information to schedule irrigation; and • Regulated Deficit Irrigation – applying RDI to almonds, pistachios, wine grapes, raisins.

6. Sustaining California Agriculture - Model Results

7. Benefits of Reducing Applied Water • Improves water quality • Increases the volume and improves timing of instream flows • Reduces need for capital-intensive infrastructure • Reduces vulnerability to water-supply constraints

8. 2) Recognize and Analyze Successes

9. 3) Make Policy-Relevant Recommendations • Update water efficiency standards. • Provide financial incentives to facilitate the adoption of water conservation and efficiency improvements, target areas with most potential. • Improve water use monitoring, particularly for outdoor water consumption. • Eliminate pricing policies that subsidize the inefficient use of water.

10. Institute reports are available in electronic form without charge: http://www.pacinst.org/publications/ Contact Information: Juliet Christian-Smithjuliet@pacinst.org 654 13th Street, Preservation Park, Oakland, California 94612, U.S.A. 510-251-1600 | www.pacinst.org