What are the possible ways to apportion water? What are the benefits of each met

Question

What are the possible ways to apportion water? What are the benefits of each method? What are the drawbacks to each method? What groups would benefit from the method that you think is best? How could you appease those groups that might not benefit from the method that you think is best? How should we regulate the use of this resource during times of scarcity (like during a drought)? Should an essential resource, like water, be regulated at all? How does your knowledge of the global nature of the water cycle affect your position on water allotment?

Explanation / Answer

I believe the best way to appropriate water would be using the meter method. This poses an issue if every household were given a certain amount of water but let’s say some were normal households (businesses included) vs. farmers. If allocation methods were used, it would be unfair to those in agriculture. The article stated that 95% of the water used goes towards irrigation of agriculture. Obviously, a family (no matter how big) would use less than people in agriculture. That is why the meter system would work best. Everyone pays for what they use. Businesses would be able to incur higher water costs as part of their business expenses. Allocation seems very socialist in nature to me. Making the water available for people to pay for instead of just cutting them off from the source at least gives them the ability to buy it. Raising prices of water after a certain amount might help to encourage everyone in conserving water as a habit all year, instead of just during dry seasons.

Major advances have been made in increasing the eco-nomic efficiency of water resource projects by taking advan-tage of (1) economies of scale in production and distribution facilities, (2) the assimilative capacity of the receiving envi-ronment, (3) excess capacity in existing facilities, (4) multipurpose opportunities, and (5) multigroup cooperation. The result of this economic analysis will typically indicate thatthe best overall solution is a relatively complex blend of management options. While this solution can be proven superior to all others from the viewpoint of economic efficiency, it may be quite difficult to implement unless an acceptable apportionment of project costs can be found. Indeed, the search for enhanced economic efficiency exacerbates the financial analysis.

we regulate the use of this resource during times of scarcity

Lawn and Garden:

Outdoor water use accounts for almost half the water used by the American home, and thus provides the greatest single opportunity for conserving.

Repair Leaks:

Check faucets and hose connections for leaks. Inspect pipes for pinhole leaks, and leaking joints. A slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it and you will save almost 6,000 gallons a year.

Showers and Baths:

Use low volume showerheads. They are inexpensive and can pay for themselves in water, sewer and energy savings in less than a year. For a five minute shower they can reduce water usage from some 40 gallons to 12 to 15 gallons.

Toilets:

Flush only when needed. Do not use the toilet as a trash can. Put a water displacement device inside the toilet tank. Check for leaks.

Clothes Washer and Dishwasher:

Do only full loads. Avoid using extra cycles whenever possible. Choose a water-saving model.

Drinking Water:

Keep a container of cool water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet. Leave the water off when brushing your teeth or shaving.

Garbage Disposal:

Use the sink disposal sparingly.

Car Washing:

Rinse car once, wash from bucket, rinse quickly again. Be sure to use a shut-off nozzle on your hose.

Please contact your individual water utility for more information on water conservation. Following are links to some utilities with informational websites on water use and conservation (even if you don´t live in these cities, the websites contain a multitude of useful information).

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