Water Management, Partnerships, Rights, and Market Trends

"This report assesses existing water market mechanisms (such as water banking and auctions) and partnership opportunities that Army installations can potentially use to improve installation water programs and their investments in water and wastewater systems. Because such mechanisms and opportunities depend on water management practices and water rights, the report also provides an overview of these areas. In addition, the report provides examples from across the United States, along with detailed case studies of these issues within Colorado and Fort Carson and within Arizona and Fort Huachuca. Water management today faces some key challenges, including aging infrastructure, water quality concerns, depleting groundwater aquifers, uncertain water supplies, pressures of population growth, climate change effects on water availability, and continued public demands for low-cost water. The traditional way of solving water problems -- by increasing access to new surface water and groundwater supplies--is often no longer viable. Such water sources are mostly allocated, and in many cases over-allocated. Today, many water managers are focused on conservation, efficient management, and accessing alternative water sources (such as treated wastewater and stormwater runoff). Water markets and partnerships are also being used in select cases.