A report released today by the Environment
New Mexico Research & Policy
Center shows that if rates of water
consumption stay constant and the Southwest’s ever-growing population trends
continue, the region will be using twice as much water
in 2040 as it does today.
“Water is a precious commodity in our desert state, but
rapid population growth, excessive water
consumption, pollution and drought put New Mexico’s
future in jeopardy,” said Environment New Mexico Advocate Lauren
Ketcham.
The report, Using
Water Wisely: Southwest Data Shows the Promise of Efficiency, analyzes water
saving opportunities in six southwestern states—New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado,
Nevada, Texas and Utah. The report finds that the Southwest could save as much
as 5.7 million acre feet of water each year by
using existing technology and adopting proven, effective best practices in the
agricultural, residential, electric generation and industrial sectors:
Agriculture
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Agriculture accounts for 71% of water
consumption in the Southwest. Because of the region’s reliance on flood and
sprinkler irrigation, farms in the Southwest apply 11% more water
to their crops, on average, than the U.S.
as a whole.
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Although microirrigation, or drip irrigation, can be
used on the vast majority of crop types, it is only applied to 0.3% of
irrigated land in the Southwest, compared to 6.8% of irrigated crops outside of
the Southwest.
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By shifting from sprinkler and surface irrigation to
microirrigation, the Southwest could save 2.9 million acre feet of water
every year.
Residential
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Our homes are responsible for 15% of the Southwest’s water
consumption. Outdoor uses, such as lawns and gardens, use more water
than all indoor uses combined.
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Xeriscaping incorporates local, low-water
use plants, appropriate landscape design, microirrigation and water-conserving
mulches to achieve beautiful, but low maintenance outdoor landscapes.
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By switching from water
intensive outdoor plants, like Kentucky Bluegrass, to Xeriscaping, the
Southwest could save 2.7 million acre feet of water
each year.
Electric Generation
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Two percent of water
in the Southwest is consumed by cooling processes in the generation of
electricity, predominantly by coal-fired power plants.
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Clean, renewable energy uses little, if any, water
and would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which threaten to further diminish
the Southwest’s water supply through reduced snow
pack and increased drought.
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If the Southwest got 20% of its electricity from
renewable sources, the region could save 140,000 acre feet of water
every year.
Industrial
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Water used by business and industry accounts for 3% of
the Southwest’s water use.
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Denver, Colorado’s
incentive and rebate program offers rebates to business for installing
pre-approved water saving equipment, like
low-flow toilets, and also pays businesses $4500 for each acre foot of water
they save, up to $40,000. It is estimated that the program will save 4,650 acre
feet of water each year.
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Reducing industrial water
use by 2% would yield a 25,000 acre feet water
savings each year.
“There is vast potential to reduce water
consumption from every sector in the Southwest. By making these investments
now, we can help to ensure New Mexico
will have water for future generations,” said
Ketcham.
The report also offers policy recommendations that could
help to achieve these water savings, including:
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Tax credits for
farmers installing microirrigation systems, to help offset the initial
investment costs. Drip irrigation is already used extensively by New
Mexico’s vineyards, and increasingly by New
Mexico’s chile-growers, although investment costs
have been prohibitive for many farmers.
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End “Use it or
Lose it” disincentives by allowing farmers to lease water to other users that has been freed up
by more efficient irrigation practices.
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Reward Xeriscape
conversion. A program in Las Vegas, Nevada,
for example, pays homeowners $1.50 per square foot of turf converted to
Xeriscape.
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Adopt state-wide
block rate structures for water, where water
prices increase as consumption increases. The cities of Alamogordo
and Santa Fe already have strong
block pricing policies in place.
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Adopt strong
Renewable Electricity Standards (RES), which require utilities to generate
a certain percentage of their electricity from clean, renewable sources. New
Mexico’s RES requires that 20% of electricity be
generated from solar, wind and other renewables by 2020.
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Reward businesses
that achieve verifiable water savings through more efficient water
use. Luna Laundry, a commercial full service laundry in Santa
Fe, for example, has installed an AquaRecycle system
that reduces their water use by 80%, by
recycling and reusing water.
“Improving the efficiency with which we use water
in the Southwest can alleviate our water
scarcity problems. From watering lawns at home
to watering crops in the field, significant
opportunities to save water exist throughout
the Southwest. A comprehensive set of water-efficiency
policies is the single best step Southwestern states can take to ensure
adequate water for ourselves and our
environment,” concluded Ketcham.
