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The best way to achieve a sustainable future for fresh water is to develop decision-making processes, institutions, and technologies that emphasize both efficiency and conservation.

The recommended approach is to “use the same water tomorrow we use today,” which accommodates all future population and economic growth to 2040, and beyond, using the same amount of water used in 2008.

Powerful software, plus demographic data, are some of the many resources utilities are discovering as they adapt to the new paradigm of demand forecasting.

Customized Water Smart Action Plans were drafted, thoroughly reviewed, and revised by each community to produce a final 'living document'.

Much of the South East Coast of Australia has experienced sustained periods of extremely low rainfall over the past 10 to 15 years. Melbourne, which is home to over 4 million people, has been severely impacted.

Susanne Porter-Bopp (140p) – POLIS Project
A commitment to “preserve water for the next generation” means that all new demands for water will be met through conservation and efficiency rather than expanding supply.

The report, H2Ontario: A Blueprint for A Comprehensive Water Conservation and Efficiency Strategy, is built on the broad vision of ‘No New Water Supplies’, meaning that the search for “new” water starts with saving water and the collective efforts to unleash the full potential of water conservation.

As noted in “Preserving sustainable water supplies for future generations”, a feature in the July 2005 edition of the AWWA “Journal”, sustainability of the planet's water resources should always be a consideration when a water supply plan is developed.

“Ten primary trends and their implications for water utilities”, featured in the July 2005 edition of the AWWA “Journal”, provides an overview of the top ten water utility future trends identified through an assessment of the literature, interviews with public water supply community leaders, and a futures workshop featuring futurists and scenario planning exercises.

During the next quarter century, water utilities in North America will face a number of developments that will put pressure on their resources, spur them to develop alternative supplies, and necessitate new approaches to how they conduct business. This article in the August edition of the AWWA “Journal”, the second in a series, highlights two of these trends—population growth and climate change.