Official defends Raleigh's water use

RALEIGH -- The conservation group American Rivers says the city of Raleigh could cut water use up to 40 percent and save millions of dollars by improving water efficiency.

But a city environmental coordinator says Raleigh has already adopted many of the policies the organization recommends.

American Rivers issued a report Wednesday in which it analyzed how four cities in the Southeast could benefit from water efficiency, as opposed to building new dams and reservoirs. It concluded that Raleigh could save $30 million to $60 million by pursuing efficiency as compared with building dams and reservoirs.

"I don't know how they developed the numbers," said Ed Buchan, the city Utilities Department's environmental coordinator. "We think that a lot of the things we've already done have saved us some money."

Buchan noted, however, that cutting consumption also reduces the city's revenue from water and sewer charges. And Buchan said that even with efficient use of water, growing communities such as Raleigh must still plan new reservoirs.

"Conservation does a lot of great things, but what it mainly can do for you is delay the need for building additional resources," he said. "But it rarely can eliminate it altogether."

The American Rivers report listed policies that it called "proven, timely and cost-effective" for water efficiency. Among the recommendations: a system of pricing water so that rates rise for big water consumers. The City Council has already agreed to such a tiered rate system, which is expected to go into effect next year.

Buchan said the city's conservation efforts also include a system for detecting leaks, a requirement that new irrigation systems have separate meters and restrictions on outdoor watering.