vision2020
Re: Moscow's water policy
Dear Pam, Priscilla and Visionaries,
When I was on the Council and chaired Public Works, we were moving in
exactly this direction for water policy: an integrated, rates, plus
technological advance encouragement for water conservation strategy,
including plans for xeriscaping city properties as the opportunities
presented themselves on a project basis. The Public Works/Finance Committee
met a number of times to discuss rate structures in 2001 and discussed the
other options you have laid out, asking staff to get back to the Committee
so that we could have a comprehensive approach. It was not completed when I
left but I know the interest is there.
Steve Busch is an excellent contact on this topic and a conscientious member
of the Palouse Basin Aquifir Committee representing the City. He would be a
good person to seek a 'procedural' update from, to see where and how far
each of these components has progressed.
Making water conservation a more public issue and raising awareness, whether
alternate watering days or otherwise, is a great idea.
All the best,
Linda Pall
----- Original Message -----
From: "Palmer/Lamar family" <ppalmer@moscow.com>
To: "Priscilla Salant" <psalant@moscow.com>
Cc: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 11:39 AM
Subject: Re: Moscow's water policy
> Priscilla-
>
> I think that the best approach to the City's water issues is an integrated
> policy that makes use of many of the points you've made. Public education
> is an essential component of any water policy the City may choose.
>
> Potable water should be available for all residents, by some means that is
> not dependent on ability to pay high water rates. This could be
> accomplished with a tiered system where an initial quantity of residential
> water use each month is set at one price and water use that goes over the
> suggested "basic water needs" amount is set at a higher level.
>
> However, I don't think that the City should rely on water rates alone.
Just
> because someone has an ability to pay for excessive water use, doesn't
mean
> they should be able to avoid conserving water, putting future generations
at
> risk for having even their basic water needs met.
>
> To encourage water conservation, I think several things could be done.
One
> is to use tiered sewer rates (in addition to tiered water rates) to
> encourage development of gray water systems and other water-saving
measures.
> Right now, all single family residents pay the same rate for sewer usage,
> even though some people use it a lot less than others. Residents who are
> conserving water right now pay the same sewer rates as their neighbor who
> could be sending five times as much water through the sewers. The City
> could encourage use of gray water systems by hosting a community workshop
to
> answer resident's questions. How much does it cost? What do I have to do
> to install one? Can I use it seasonally? The systems are probably
somewhat
> costly to install, but if a homeowner's investment is matched by a
decrease
> in their sewer rates, because they aren't using the sewer system as much,
> then homeowners might be more likely to put out the money for the gray
water
> system in the first place. Retrofitting current homes is probably more
> costly than installing gray water systems in new homes. Perhaps there
could
> be incentives for contractors building new homes to install gray water
> systems? Could there be incentives on state tax returns?
>
> Rather than focusing only on efficient irrigation (through use of
nighttime
> watering and soaker hoses, etc.), the City could encourage xeriscaping or
> native plant use, minimizing the use for water in the first place. The
City
> could design a xeriscaped city park, used as a beautiful model of how to
use
> various methods for reducing water use while retaining an aesthetically
> pleasing park. In Fargo, N.D., there is a beautiful xeriscape garden in
> front of the sewer treatment plant, where residents can stroll, looking at
> plants and landscape ideas, taking a brochure home with them when they
> leave. The City could also make some small grants available to a number
of
> highly visible lawns around Moscow, so that residents could turn their own
> front yards into xeriscape gardens for others to view as they walk through
> their neighborhoods.
>
> The City has a chance to do the right thing here, starting with City owned
> properties and showing residents that it is possible to have beautiful
yards
> without a lot of water use.
>
> Pam Palmer
> Moscow
>
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