| Agencies have
plans to help solve water crisis
Borderland Tuesday,
March 18, 2003
Times staff reports
Many agencies have developed long-term plans to help solve or
alleviate El Paso's water crisis. Among them:
El Paso Water Utilities' 10-year Strategic Plan (November
2002)
Lower Valley Water District Conservation Plan (Initiated in
1999)
Strategic Plan from "An Economic Development Strategy for the
Sustainable Use of Water in the Paso del Norte Region," hosted by the
University of Texas at El Paso (1998).
Details of water solutions
Here are some of the plans and goals developed to help El Paso meet
its water issues:
El Paso Water Utilities' 10-year Strategic Plan (November
2002)
Optim! ize the management and protection of our land assets and
investments in infrastructure.
Develop binational regional water quality laboratory and a water
quality data management system.
Provide a clear message on EPWU's priorities and short- and
long-term goals, objectives and values.
Build stronger partnerships that enable EPWU to serve customers with
ample future water supplies.
Minimize impact, costs and effect of drought conditions by carefully
managing surface water ... and communicating that message.
Creation of a Board Advisory Council on regional issues (named March
12).
Secure water resources and finance/build infrastructure to ensure
adequate and affordable 50-year water supply.
Reduce overall per capita consumption to 140 gallons per person by
2010.
Promote supply-side conservation.
Continue to deliver the best-valued product by continuing to fully
price water as a commodity.
Lower Valley Water Dist! rict Conservation Plan (Initiated in
1999)
Edu! cation and information (water conservation).
Water-saving plumbing codes.
Retrofit program (installing water use appliances that use less
water).
Conservation-oriented water rate structures.
Universal water metering.
Water conserving landscaping.
Continuous leak detection and repair.
Recycling and reuse of water.
Implementation and enforcement by utility personnel, local police or
special employees.
Contracts with other political subdivisions will contain district's
plan or have own plans approved by state.
Strategic Plan from "An Economic Development Strategy for the
Sustainable Use of Water in the Paso del Norte Region," hosted by the
University of Texas at El Paso (1998):
Completely inventory, map, quantify and model the extent and quality
of aquifers within the regions on both sides of the international
border.
Promote the use of treated effluent through appropriate policies and
pricing.!
Resolve disputes over ownership of regional waters.
Make water conservation measures mandatory for all entities, public
and private, and residential users.
Create regionwide drought management plan.
Educate the public about the importance of water conservation.
Investigate the feasibility of "borrowing" irrigation water for
drinking use.
Provide for enhanced international water planning and management.
Prepare a comprehensive biological inventory and assessment of the
river ecosystem.
Promote systems that enable farmers to sell off the unused portion
of their water allotment.
Assure that water, sufficient in quantity and quality for basic
human needs, is supplied to unserved areas.
Determine the "real cost" of water, factoring in exploration,
treatment and delivery, future depletion allowances and quality of life
and environmental issues.
Develop a unified regionwide water management and planning me!
chanism.
Assess the impact of regional developmen! t/growth patterns on water
supply and delivery.
Establish a formal, permanent dialogue between providers of
municipal and industrial water.
Encourage the use of native and desert adapted, drought-tolerant
plant species, consistent with accepted xeriscaping.
|
|
|
