By Albuquerque Mayor Martin J. Chávez
June 7, 2004

One of the goals adopted by Albuquerque (NM) is to become "the most water conscious city in the west". Faced with growing demand for water consumption and some uncertainty about water supply, the city leaders took positive steps to ensure an adequate supply for the present and the future. Water supply — like people, energy and resources — is one of the fundamental requirements for sustainable cities. Albuquerque chose to better understand the water supply situation and take intelligent steps to provide for the future.

Albuquerque's water supply plan was established in the 1960s. At that time the state-of-the-knowledge concerning water supply was that the aquifer would serve as the principle supply source for the city. The aquifer was re-supplied from the Rio Grande River. The Rio Grande River is subject to low flow conditions is re'supplied by the engineered channel known as the San Juan-Chama Project involving an interbasin transfer of water to the Rio Grande River.

The state-of-the-knowledge has changed dramatically. We now know that the Rio Grande does not re-supply the aquifer, and, the water supply in the aquifer is less than previously thought. A decades- worth of study has been conducted on the situation. The USGS developed a computer model of the local water resources; the University of New Mexico conducted a water value study; the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation studied the aquifer recharge dynamics; the city developed a groundwater protection strategy, a conservation program, and a water recycling study. It was determined that half of the water pumped from the aquifer is currently not replenished. Armed with this new information and a laborious examination of 32 possible alternative water supply scenarios, Albuquerque adopted a new water strategy in 1997.

The new strategy incorporates active ratepayer participation in the process. We seek public input via a Customer Advisory Committee, Public Forums and Outreach; and, support from environmental, business and civic groups. One thing we learned is that the public has to be made aware of the water supply situation on an on-going basis. The city council will support necessary rate increases, and citizens and ratepayers will better understand why the rate changes are necessary if they are abreast of the problems the city faces in ensuring an adequate supply. One of the effective modes of communication with ratepayers is using individualized water bill messages concerning consumption and methods to conserve.

The 1997 strategy calls for water reclamation and recycling, and water conservation. The water conservation program incorporates actions and efforts that all cities can adopt or adapt to fit their situation. The strategy relies on a 1994 city goal to reduce water consumption by 30 percent by 2004. The city estimates that a 28 percent reduction has been achieved. A new goal was adopted to achieve a 40 percent reduction (from the 1994 consumption level) by 2014. This is ambitious, but it can be done via a broad array of methods aimed at specific water consumption sectors (e.g., residential, industrial, institutional, etc.), low-cost technology applications and broad public education.

One of the categories of water use is called unaccounted-for-water (UAW). Leaking water distribution pipes plague many, if not all, cities. You never really know how severe the losses can be until you benchmark it. Albuquerque initiated a large program of meter testing and replacement. An objective was to identify and repair or replace leaking pipes before the water becomes visible on the surface. Additionally, malfunctioning meters are replaced so that we can get an accurate accounting of water consumption.

We look at city government as a consumption sector, and have identified steps that can be taken to reduce use. Aside from the obvious measures of installing low-flush toilets in all public buildings, we turned to Xeriscape techniques to enhance infiltration and recharge of the aquifer. Xeriscape techniques involve landscaping in dry, hot areas. An alternative to lawns with water-loving green grass is shrubbery that thrives in the hot, dry climates. This technique, by the way, is also conducive to the residential sector. The city established a rebate program for ratepayers that incorporate Xeriscape techniques.

Rebate programs have proven very useful in achieving reductions in water use. This financial incentive approach has triggered action. The city has been developing an expanded rebate program. New rebates will be offered when users install: efficient dishwashers; multi'setting thermostats; and rainwater harvesting (sometimes in the form of rain barrels). Other new rebates will be made available for those who practice hot water recirculation; use gray water; or switch from once-though water-cooling to refrigerated air.

Albuquerque's strategy calls for generating measurable performance data. Achieving 30 percent reduction in water consumption requires conservation efforts in many consumption sectors. Obviously the water metering effort is critical to measuring performance because you need a benchmark to compare achievement. This is critical for getting a handle on the UAW situation, and what needs to be done to limit leakage.

The success story for Albuquerque is remarkable by any standards. In 1989 Albuquerque consumed 130,000 acre-feet of water. One acre-foot is equal to 325,851 gallons of water. In 2004 the city consumed around 110,000 acre-feet of water. This amounts to a reduction of over 6.5 billion gallons of water. Over this period of time more than 10,000 new water hook-ups were installed. Local action has had great impact.

We also tabulate performance by the number of technology applications and other units. Xeriscape landscaping, for example, covers 2,958,002 square feet in the city. This reduces urban run-off and helps to recharge the aquifer.

Remarkable progress has been made with the number of technology applications. More than 48,500 low flow toilets have been installed. Other areas of improvement include: installing efficient washing machines (6,146); regulated flow shower heads (9,964); high efficiency dishwashers (643); rainwater harvesting barrels (208); hot water recirculation systems (271).

Residential water use audits are another tool Albuquerque has employed to find ways to conserve water. Some 9,733 residential audits have been conducted to date. This is one of the best ways to educate ratepayers about how much money they can save when they reduce water consumption.

Not every city has the need or desire to implement aggressive water conservation programs like Albuquerque. However, every city should consider such programs in part or in full. The growing stress on water supplies and population growth should be dealt with before the tap runs dry.