1. Estimating a Water Supply Cost
Curve for Utah
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Club
April 27, 2016
Viviane Baji | Patrick Adams | Michelle Jones | Coleman Gerdes
Phillip Visser | Amberlee Burrows | Jack Trice | Austin Brown | Kaaren Hodgson
Advisors: Eric Edwards, Ryan Bosworth

2. Utah’s Water Landscape
• Concern for future water supply
• Efforts to develop other water sources
§ Bear River development Project
§ Lake Powell Pipeline
What about conservation?
How much does it cost?
82%
Current Water Use by Sector
Commercial/
Industrial
Residential
Outdoor
Residential
Indoor
Agriculture

3. Water Use Sectors
Residential Indoor
Residential Outdoor
Wastewater Reuse
Industry
Agriculture
Development
Conservation
Potential
Cost
Barriers to
Adoption
$

4. Residential Indoor
Methods
Combined census data
and market penetration
rates to estimate baseline
stock of appliances
Modeled 100% adoption
rate scenario
Technologies
LowFlow Toilets
LowFlow Showerheads
High Efficiency Clothes
Washers

5. Residential Outdoor
Methods
Combined Division of
Water Resources water
use estimates with water
savings potential for each
technology
Applied amortized costs to
household census data
Technologies
Watering at Night
Rain Sensors
Water Harvesting
Mulching
Drip Irrigation
Xeriscaping

6. Wastewater Reuse
Methods
Combined water
treatment plant output
data with cost of reuse
estimates from the DWRe
Applied consumptive rate
to find new supply
Technologies
Increased Treatment
Costs
Distribution
Infrastructure

7. Development
Methods
Used state cost and water
supply estimates
Technologies
Lake Powell Pipeline
Bear River Development

8. Industry
Methods
Combined Division of
Water Rights industrial
water use estimates with
water savings potential
Applied amortized costs to
specific Utah firms
Technologies
Reverse Osmosis
Treatment Process

9. Agriculture
Methods
Combined USGS agricultural
water use data with USU
Extension efficiency
estimates
Applied water savings to
each county
Constant level of production
Technologies
Converting flood
irrigated cropland to
center pivot sprinkler
systems

11. • Beneficial Use
doctrine can mean
conserved water is
lost to irrigator
• High initial cost
• Legal opposition by
downstream users
• Lengthy
administrative
process
• Public stigma against
effluent
• Opposition from
environmental
groups
• High costs
• Vulnerable to
climate change
• Lack of awareness
of savings potential
• Negative aesthetic
perceptions
• Installation
challenges
• Low urban water
prices
• Perceptions of
diminished
effectiveness of
LowFlow appliances
• Lack of low hanging
fruit
• High costs