Water Conservation Planning and Implementation in New England: History and Current Practice

摘要

Despite the image of "abundance of water," many utilities and water purveyors in New England are now required, recommended, or encouraged to develop conservation plans and/ or programs. Conservation has been required through legislative, administrative, or regulatory mandate; as preconditions to permitting; or in connection with state funding. This study aims to review the history and current practice of water conservation across New England and assess progress in conservation during last three decades. Conservation progress is assessed and states are ranked based on three methods: (i) state mandates for conservation, (ii) responses to conservation criterion questionnaire, and (iii) WaterSense partnerships. For the first method, states are categorized based on whether they require or recommend actions or neither in conserving water. Currently, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island have mandates (category 1) for conservation. Vermont belongs to category 2 and Maine to category 3. Based on responses to conservation criterion questionnaire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island