As Drought Worsens, New Campaign Calls on Las Vegas Valley Communities to Take the 90 by 20 Pledge

Published on Mon, Jul 23, 2012 (10:02 a.m.)

Submitted by 90 by 20 Water Conservation Campaign (90by20.org)

As the worst drought since 2002 shines a spotlight on the water challenges facing the Colorado River Basin, a group of leading advocacy organizations is launching a new campaign to urge the region’s urban communities to do their part to put the Basin on a sustainable path. Launching this week, the campaign is asking communities from Colorado to Utah to Nevada to Arizona to take the “90 by 20” pledge and commit to using water in smarter, more efficient ways.

Specifically, the 90 by 20 campaign is calling on communities in the region to commit to achieving residential water usage rates of 90 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) by 2020. According to a new report issued by the campaign, this is a level within reach for nearly every major water utility in the region. More importantly, if utilities in the Basin meet this benchmark, the region will save over 1 million acre-feet of water. That is enough water to supply Las Vegas for two years.

“When it comes to water, lots of people like to point fingers or assign blame. Others like to argue about who is going to get less, or who is going to pay for expensive solutions. The 90 by 20 campaign believes it is time to focus on affordable solutions that everyone can achieve today,” said 90 by 20 supporter Drew Beckwith, of Western Resource Advocates. “If we’re going to restore balance to the region’s water resources, everyone needs to work together and reach for a common goal. That is where 90 by 20 comes into play.”

Gallons Per Capita Per Day is a common water usage metric used by utilities. The 90 by 20 campaign is specifically focused on residential (indoor plus outdoor) GPCD. It is asking utilities to work with their residential customers over the next eight years to achieve average usage rates of 90 gallons per person, per day. Residential GPCD takes into account all the water used inside and outside the home. It includes, for example, the water used to wash, cook and clean, as well as to irrigate landscapes.

Over the summer, the campaign will be meeting directly with utilities and policy leaders throughout the region. The campaign will ask communities to take the “90 by 20 pledge” and commit to achieving a residential rate of 90 GPCD by 2020. The effort will also engage Basin residents through Social Media and other efforts in order to push consumers to think about how they use water and how they can help put the region on a better path.

As the campaign’s report shows, 90 GPCD is a realistic and achievable number for residential customers. Many communities in the Basin are very close, while others have work to do. Denver Water, for example, is near 90, while the Las Vegas region is around 120. Phoenix is near 110, while St. George, Utah, and Scottsdale, AZ, are above 150. By setting a new region wide benchmark, the campaign is giving all communities a marker for which to reach.

“While agriculture rightfully gets a lot of focus as a large consumer of water in the region, demand from urban communities continues to rise,” said Beckwith. “90 by 20 is designed to spark a conversation in urban communities about what can be done today to start tackling the problem without spending billions or imposing burdensome new regulations. We hope to highlight those communities where water usage trends are headed in the right direction and serve as a catalyst for action in those places where the conversation has yet to start. ”

As the campaign notes, the Colorado River is the most important source of water and economic activity for seven basin states and Mexico. The River provides drinking water for 36 million people, but as this summer’s drought illustrates, the region is on an unsustainable path. More water is being taken out of the River than Mother Nature supplies.Going forward, lower water levels will put an enormous burden on the Region’s economic viability, as the tourism and recreation sectors that rely on steady River flows begin to shrink.

“The challenge of increasing demand and decreasing supply is a Basin-wide problem that demands Basin-wide solutions,” said Beckwith. “It is not enough for individual communities to tackle this problem on their own. From Colorado to Arizona, we need everyone to work in concert toward the same objective. It is true that many utilities are moving in the right direction, but it is not enough— and not everyone is on board. 90 by 20 is goal around which the region can rally.”

One key component stressed by the campaign is flexibility. While the effort is designed to get communities reaching for the same commitment, it is not prescribing a single set of solutions for how to get there. Recognizing that communities have different water needs and preferences, the campaign sets a residential usage goal, but offers communities the chance to follow their own roadmap to 90 GPCD.

The 90 by 20 campaign is supported by a number of organizations, including Nuestro Rio, Protect the Flows, Western Resource Advocates and Colorado Environmental Coalition.

To find out more about 90 by 20, visit 90by20(dot)org