Publication Date
4-8-2008
Abstract
While financial costs are an important component in water resource planning and management, it is rare for water resource planning to thoroughly identify and calculate all costs and benefits, including both environmental costs and the true costs of water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and systems. Added to this shortfall of knowledge is the reality that environmental impacts have not traditionally been a significant factor in assessments and are challenging to isolate and quantify. Long term operation, maintenance, upgrades and replacement costs of water, wastewater, and stormwater systems are key variables in a thorough assessment though they are too often overlooked or under-represented. This study considered an integrated approach to water resource planning – one incorporating wastewater, potable water and stormwater – that accounted for the costs and benefits of water management across all sectors. Of particular interest was the incorporation of short and long term economic and ecological costs and benefits of viable water resource management options. The study team collaborated with water managers in the town of Sharon, Massachusetts to conduct a thorough and comprehensive environmental and economic cost benefit analysis of their water resources system. The Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) system was used as the analytical platform to evaluate the physical and financial implications of management alternatives. The town of Sharon was selected as a test case for applying a more broadly applicable water planning methodology because it has a mix of water resources issues that are representative of the challenges that other municipalities face. This case study provides a transferable example of methods to help a community or region with their water resource planning and decision making process.