If people in the West are going to beat the drought, they can best do it by working together, not by fighting with their neighbors.
In other words, not the way people in Denver are doing it.
The Washington Post recently reported on Denver’s failure to meet its goal of persuading residents to reduce water use by a combined 12,400 acre feet. Instead, they have reduced usage by only 2,900 acre feet.
Meanwhile, a city tip line has gotten more than 4,000 complaints from people turning in neighbors or businesses for alleged violations of watering restrictions. A first offense merits a warning, while a second offense results in a $250 fine, with a graduated scale resulting in fines of up to $1,000.
People seem to be complaining about a wide range of watering scofflaws, including golf courses and data centers.
Meanwhile, some homeowner’s associations have complicated matters by issuing complaints for lawns that haven’t been watered enough, leaving people in situations impossible to resolve.
Economic incentives
The lesson ought to be clear. Shaming is no way to change behavior in a drought.
It’s a lesson that ought to apply to the entire interior West, which is in the grips of a historic lack of rain.
The best and least disruptive way to encourage drought-resistant behavior is through economic incentives. Many water districts already have tiered rate structures that charge low amounts for the first 5,000 gallons used each month, then progressively move higher from there. As the drought progresses, it may be necessary to increase the spike in those tiers.
Americans already understand the effect scarcity has on the concept of supply-and-demand. Oil has become relatively more scarce in the wake of the nation’s war in Iran. That scarcity has resulted in less supply, which in turn has resulted in higher prices for gasoline. As a result, people buy less gas, which turns price into an effective rationing tool.
People will find it easy to shorten their showers if they know the alternative is a much bigger bill. Likewise, they will be more apt to accept a brown lawn, and to regard a neighbor’s green lawn with less anger, knowing that a price is being paid.
Meanwhile, the state could increase its financial incentives for homeowners to swap their laws for drought-resistant desert landscaping. Financial incentives come in various forms.
Helping the poor
We recognize there are consequences to higher rates that deserve consideration. For instance, low-income Utahns would be punished more severely than any other demographic, adding another burden to many who struggle to pay their bills. Many of these folks live in apartments, where higher water bills would result in landlords raising rents.
A few years ago, the Utah Foundation published a four-part series on water-related issues. Among its suggestions was that the state should tie water rates to property values in an effort to charge less to those who can afford it the least.
State lawmakers have searched for ways to rewrite laws governing agricultural water use. As a result, such users now can join to form water banks. These let them lease out water they don’t use. Another change lets them split their watering season, leasing water for only a certain time period.
The current drought is particularly persistent and extensive. It has been exacerbated by a changing climate and population growth. The level of the Great Salt Lake is of particular concern, given its role as an ecological catalyst that enhances snowstorms, resulting in large mountain accumulations and spring runoff.
It’s nothing several years of excess precipitation can’t fix, but in the meantime, those who live here need to find effective ways to use less water.
In its reports, the Utah Foundation also found that water companies see a 6.5% reduction in usage for every 10% increase in rates — a clear indication that pricing is the best way to promote conservation.
Political leaders often default to punitive measures that pit neighbors against each other. Utah has a website that allows people to report water waste. We hope, for the sake of unity and peace, that it doesn’t publicize this site if conditions continue to worsen.