Redstate

By Matt Rosenberg Posted in Economy — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Here's a regional take on one big water policy issue - that of securing adequate future supplies as population grows. The challenge carries serious implications for future regional economic development in a number of expanding locales around the U.S. "It's Clear: Plan Today For Water Tomorrow," is the title of the front page Insight section piece in the Sunday, Sept. 11 Tacoma News Tribune, which I authored. My guest commentary is drawn from a longer white paper I recently completed for the Cascadia Center of the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, called "Ample Water Potential, But a Leadership Drought: Toward a 21st Century Regional Water Policy for Central Puget Sound."

Please read on.

As you'll see, I was especially interested in how key advisory bodies, and water utility managers outside of Seattle in Central Puget Sound (Pierce, King and Snohomish counties) look at impending growth, and our region's corresponding water supply planning options.

From my TNT Insight piece today:

The region’s future water needs, for both man and fish, will require more than conservation and more than the current fragmented approach to planning and decision-making on in-stream and out-of-stream water supplies.

...John Kirner, Tacoma Water superintendent, says, “We have a substantially increased population (in the three-county region) versus 1970, and the Puget Sound Regional Council forecasts a significant increase beyond today’s population. That means more economic development. The homes, roads, streets, malls, parking lots, schools and workplaces to support population growth all put stress on the water resource. Add to that more emphasis than ever on leaving water in streams for salmon, and you’re faced with the choice of people using less water, or making new water supplies and water storage facilities available.”

...The piecemeal approach doesn’t work. The clock is ticking, and the costs of securing enough water for our region’s future grow daily. Gov. (Christine) Gregoire needs to show real leadership and bring all the right parties to the table, in a binding regional decision-making process for central Puget Sound, where the water needs of homes, businesses and public institutions are firmly placed on equal footing with those of fish.

Central Puget Sound can learn from the experiences of other regions, and even nations, a number of which are also grappling with securing adequate future water supplies. To that end, a few related posts from one of my own sites, Rosenblog:

"GE Desalination Project To Expand Algiers Water Supply;"

"New Water Supplies, Conservation, Key To Metro Atlanta Growth."