Best Practice Guide

Local Governments

Water Use

Reclamation

Explore a reclamation ordinance.  Reclamation projects can extend water supplies, reduce wastewater disposal costs, and save water and energy costs.  Careful analysis of water reclamation possibilities is paramount because of the cost, public health issues, legal barriers, and environmental considerations.  Steps include offering local financial incentives and taking advantage of state financial incentives or advocating to make them available.

Change plumbing codes to permit use of reclaimed water and gray water systems.  Local governments may require dual water systems, which enable the use of reclaimed water in newly constructed buildings.

Explore opportunities for converting agricultural water to urban use.  Relocating water from the farm sector to the urban sector involves complexities. However, as reallocation eliminates the need to build more dams, results in increased in-stream flow, and creates incentives to reduce overwatering of agricultural land - thus reducing the potential for erosion, waterlogging, and salinazation of runoff water - it may be a viable option for urban communities that are experiencing water shortages. Cities must be careful that such measures do not result in the transformation of land from agricultural uses to urban space. They also must be explicit about provisions for environmental restoration of cities if they wish to prevent environmental damage.