Setting Water Allocation and Withdrawal Policy

Abstract

The New England Section of AWWA (NEWWA) has made public water supply a clear priority. Faced by a range of water allocation and withdrawal issues, NEWWA began developing policy recommendations for consideration by water systems, federal regulators, and state authorities. The section's Water Resources Committee (WRC) was charged with reviewing water allocation policies and procedures in the six‐state region of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. After more than a year of work, the WRC developed a regulatory screening matrix and white paper on water supply permitting delays and instream flow‐setting policies. Early in 2003, the NEWWA Board of Directors adopted the policy derived from the WRC report. The policy comprises seven areas related to water supply allocation: allocation priority; supply management; storage, interconnection, and transfer; identification of future sources of water supply and development of redundant supplies; conservation and drought; funding; and, water supplier input. As part of its policy, NEWWA also developed recommendations for implementing measures in each area. According to NEWWA, the prime priority for water allocation is meeting the public's drinking water, culinary, safe and healthy transportation of waste material, and fire protection needs. Water providers must be stewards of their water sources and use their supplies as efficiently as possible. The water supply community should partner with the US Environmental Protection Agency, state regulators, and local agencies to secure sufficient supply for future needs. To facilitate this goal, permitting processes need to be streamlined and the regulatory burden eased. Above all, water suppliers must not take a backseat while others formulate water allocation and withdrawal policy that will affect utilities' ability to meet consumer needs.