Policy 5: Conservation and Sustainability Policy

The Met Council and its regional partners work together to ensure the region’s water is conserved and used efficiently to optimize current water infrastructure and treatment investments, safeguard the sustainability of water sources, and ensure the reliability of water utility services.

The current and long-term viability of natural waters, water infrastructure investments, and the services provided by water utilities depend on the wise use and conservation of water. The sustainability of water, water utilities, and water infrastructure starts with practices that conserve sources, protect infrastructure investments, and use water efficiently. When we use water efficiently, we are using only what is needed, limiting the need for additional water infrastructure, treatment, and associated energy use and costs. We are also optimizing and, in some cases, extending the life of current investments in water services and infrastructure, helping to ensure that the water and water systems we rely on are available to meet needs in the future.

Conservation behaviors and efficiency practices help to ensure water sources are available and more resilient during periods of stress like an extended period of drought or contamination event. Through these best management practices, the region can ensure water and water services are sustained, water conflicts are eliminated, and the current and future water needs of the region are met.

All water supply and wastewater systems should have sufficient funding to provide affordable services that meet the needs of communities. Efficient water use and conservation practices help to lower treatment and infrastructure investment costs for water utilities. Limiting these costs helps the region to sustainably operate and maintain its water utilities. It also helps individuals, businesses, and industries to lower costs and contribute to the stewardship of the region’s water. All communities should share in the economic, social, and environmental benefits of investment in water systems, and those investments should be maximized wherever possible.

Desired outcomes:

  1. The water needs of all cities, townships, residents, and ecosystems across the metro region are met now and into the future.
  2. Efficient use and water conservation practices are prioritized and invested in at the local and regional level to help optimize all water infrastructure investments.
  3. The Met Council explores and supports community efforts to adopt technologies that increase the efficient use of water and reduce energy consumption.
  4. Communities can act quickly, thoughtfully, and equitably to address aging infrastructure, contamination, changing groundwater conditions, changing water demand, and financial challenges.
  5. Communities and water agencies understand the sustainable limits of groundwater and surface water sources.
  6. Agency priorities, management, and regulatory strategies are aligned and support local plans for land use and related water demand that is consistent with the original design capacity for water infrastructure.

Actions

Actions are grouped under the categories of Partner, Plan, and Provide to better tell the story of how policy produces results.

Partner

  1. Partner with local organizations to best understand and address water conservation and efficiency practices through research, data assessment, tool development, and convening conversations that support investments and behavior change.
  2. Partner and support efforts, including developing informational resources, that encourage residents, businesses, local government units, homeowner associations, and water utilities to incorporate new technology and behaviors, as a means of achieving water sustainability and energy efficiency in the region.
  3. Promote engagement of water users about water conservation to reduce water demand and support reliability and protection of our water supply.
  4. Work with water supply service providers and agency partners to prioritize work with significant water users that may reduce water use, promote conservation, and implement reuse where applicable.

Plan

  1. Create and develop funding requests with partners for education campaigns, water infrastructure projects and feasibility studies that benefit multiple communities.
  2. Plan and invest to use water efficiently and regeneratively at Met Council owned properties and facilities, where feasible.
  3. Work with agency partners and universities to map recharge areas and groundwater-dependent ecosystems and their groundwater-sheds to assess their vulnerability to increased pumping and opportunities to protect recharge.
  4. Support water supply and wastewater system emergency preparedness planning in collaboration with state agencies and local governments.
  5. Support local plans that identify long-range water demand and commit to approaches that reduce per capita demand to help manage infrastructure capacity.

Provide

  1. Implement water conservation and efficiency technology and activities in the operation of the regional wastewater collection and treatment system.
  2. Install drought-resilient, native landscaping on Met Council properties to reduce the need for irrigation and turfgrass management, where feasible.
  3. Support programs targeting water and energy conservation practices and implementation of efficient water and energy use like the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) to assist local businesses, residents, and communities.
  4. Support efforts to direct residents, homeowner associations, and developers to prioritize alternatives to using drinking water supplies for lawn watering, such as installing lowmaintenance turf, no-mow, or native landscapes that reduce outdoor water use and support research and studies to identify other effective alternatives for the region.
  5. Explore connections with the agricultural community to understand how farming practices impact water quantity and quality and support efforts to decrease groundwater use for irrigation and implement best management practices to minimize water quality degradation.
  6. Continue to offer grants to support water conservation and efficient water use practices and appliances.

Next:

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