Conserving Water in California Consequences
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Social
Water Conservation Strategy Should Consider Health, Cost and Community Concerns
California GovernorJerry Brown issued an executive order asking residents to reduce their water consumption by 20 percent. That hasn't happened. Since then, the state's dry conditions have worsened, with more than 80 percent of California now in an extreme drought according to the National Weather Service.
As a result, officials are getting tough on water wasters: The State Water Resources Control Board recently adopted regulations giving local agencies the authority to fine those who waste water up to $500 a day.
But efforts to hit Brown's target might have unintended, and potentially harmful, consequences for the health of Californians and their communities.
Now ahealth impact assessment, or HIA, issued by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health'sCenter for Health Advancementprovides short- and long-term recommendations for urban water conservation that save water while also protecting and promoting public health. The report was funded by the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here
Media
Taxonomy
- Conservation
- Water Supply
- Water Management