Decreasing Residential Water Use in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Current policy tools in place
- we currently do not have any regulations in use
Overview
Pricing Structure
- Residents pay for what they use
- Tiered Pricing
Authority tool
Incentive tool
Why consider regulating residents for water efficiency?
- Water as a necessary component for human life
- Impending doom of climate change
- Isn't there a lot of water in Wisconsin?
- Central Wisconsin specific
- Introduction: why is this topic important to consider?
- Overview of tools that are used to regulate residential water use
- Current Policy Tools in place categorized using the Schnieder and Ingram framework
- Advocate: what policy tools should be used?
What policies should be used?
- continue what we are doing until climate change worsens
- use of more policy tools simultaneously when necessary
Important considerations
Presented by: Melissa Haack
Policy Analyst/Staffer for Katrina Shankland
- incentive tools: continue with tiered pricing but alter a bit for increased efficiency
- authority tools: mandatory water use restrictions
- capacity tools: use water bills as vehicle for learning
- symbolic and hortatory tools: promotion of decreasing water use
- Forging relationships between academics and public utilities
- proper oversight and evaluation
- continuing research and revising as evidence is found that supports or refutes current tools in place
Policy Options for Regulating Residential Water use
- Mandatory vs. Voluntary
- Price Incentives
- different pricing structures
- Non-Price: demand management strategies
- technological fixes
- mandatory use restrictions
- education/behavioral change
- Mixture of price and nonprice