The Texas Water Journal published an article in the Volume 10, Number 1, 2019 issue titled “Economically Recoverable Water in Texas: An Underappreciated Water Management Strategy?” by Dr. Timothy T. Loftus.
The article discusses the value or “true cost of water” and how the nationwide infrastructure maintenance gap encourages a reconsideration of the value of utility water losses. The author examines water loss audit data for 2014 for two planning regions that are home to almost a third of Texas’ population, which include three of the five largest cities, to explore the value of economically recoverable water losses from a perspective that better reflects the regional scenarios under which the state water plan is developed. According to the abstract, the volume of real and apparent losses is valued per a new regional average composite price to arrive at an estimation for the water that should be feasible to recover. Results are presented in the context of state and regional water supply planning in two ways: 1) comparing the volume of economically recoverable water to the volume of supply expected from water loss control strategies, and 2) comparing the newly assessed value of recoverable water to the estimated costs associated with water loss control strategies.
The journal, an online, peer-reviewed journal published by the nonprofit The Texas Water Journal and the Texas Water Resources Institute, publishes papers as they are complete. It is devoted to the timely consideration of Texas water resources management, research and policy issues from a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates science, engineering, law, planning and other disciplines. It also provides updates on key state legislation and policy changes by Texas administrative agencies.
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