Price signals influence decision making and behavior at each stage in the path that discarded material takes to reuse, recycling, composting, or disposal.  Current signals often incentivize disposal, or fail to differentiate between disposal and diversion even when there is a significant fiscal benefit from diversion.  Changing these price signals for those who do not otherwise experience them would yield significant additional diversion.

The zoning measures described above can protect water resources from the impacts of new development, but zoning grandfathers existing development.  Yet many communities have existing patterns of development already located within aquifer and watershed areas.  In order to regulate these existing land uses, communities may implement non-zoning or “general” bylaws and ordinances or other local controls such as Board of Health regulations.

Cities and towns, through their home rule powers, hold the key to protecting the long-term quality of their drinking water supplies.  The federal Safe Drinking Water Act establishes the maximum levels of contaminants allowed in public water supplies to meet public health needs, but achieving those quality standards is largely a local responsibility.

In 2008, MassDEP proposed a new set of regulations governing the permitting and operation of reclaimed water in Massachusetts, 314 CMR 20.00, entitled “Reclaimed Water Permit Program and Standards Regulations.”  These regulations reflect national experience in reclaimed water, MassDEP’s experience since the implementation of its Interim Guidelines on Reclaimed Water in 2000, as well as research and input from a MassDEP’s Water Reuse Task Force.  

Municipal stormwater systems epitomize the concept of “stranded infrastructure.”  Unlike water and sewer systems, there is no dedicated funding stream to ensure adequate maintenance of stormwater systems.  Capital funding (grants, bonds, or developer mitigation) pays for new infrastructure, but constrained tax revenues and competing priorities mean that public works departments are under resourced.  Municipal staff are unable to conduct routine maintenance such as cleaning catch basins, repairing pipe, or removing blockages, resulting in lower pollutant removal an

Old and poorly constructed pipelines, inadequate corrosion protection, poorly maintained valves and mechanical damage are some of the factors contributing to leakage. One effect of water leakage, besides the loss of water resources, is reduced pressure in the supply system. Raising pressures to make up for  leakage losses increases energy consumption,  makes leaking worse, and  adversely impacts the environment. Of the many options available for conserving water, leak detection is a logical first step.

Water utilities should conduct a comprehensive audit every 5 to 10 years depending on the findings of the Annual Statistical Report audit. A comprehensive audit is strongly recommended for communities/systems showing significant and unexplainable increases in  unaccounted-for water (UAW) from one year to the next, and for communities/systems that are consistently unable to meet regulatory standards for UAW.

The intensity of peak demands has grown in recent years due in part to the proliferation of automatic irrigation systems.  These systems generally involve a series of sprinkler heads connected by piping or hoses, controlled by a central automatic timing device so that they operate on a regular schedule without requiring any human intervention.  

Municipalities can help to reduce water demand for irrigation by integrating landscaping best practices into existing site plan guidelines, zoning bylaws, and subdivision rules and regulations.

In order to achieve fundamental changes in patterns of water use in the region, residents and businesses must have a greater awareness about the region’s water resources, the impacts of excessive water use, and the need for conservation.  Customers must understand how their actions affect the natural environment and how conservation measures can save them money.  Pricing structures, technology, outdoor use restrictions, and development standards all depend on the water user for their effectiveness.  Without an educated consumer who is aware of cause, effect, and solutio