Conserve to enhance - voluntary municipal water conservation to support environmental restoration

Conserve to Enhance offers an innovative municipal water conservation mechanism designed to motivate consumers to conserve water and set aside funds to purchase water for environmental needs. The concept and program elements were developed with the collaboration of utility representatives, elected officials, interested citizens, as well as more than 40 experts in water and environmental concerns. Under the proposed voluntary program, a baseline water use is established for participants on the basis of actual water consumption. Even if participants reduce their water consumption, they agree to continue to pay this baseline amount, with any monetary savings accrued by their conservation efforts going to the Conserve to Enhance program. These funds are then used to purchase water for environmental enhancements such as irrigation for revegetation efforts. The authors offer a set of considerations and recommendations for the potential development of a program, including strategies for measuring and accounting for conservation, water utility involvement, and development of decision-making bodies.