Abstract
This chapter discusses the evolving role of interbasin transfers (IBT) in urban water management. After providing an historical overview of IBT development, the chapter describes how IBTs are challenged by a change in the technological and socio-economic context. The emergence of alternative technologies, such as desalination, wastewater reclamation and reuse, or managed artificial groundwater recharge is reducing the attractiveness of IBTs. Water utilities are also becoming increasingly aware that water conservation programs can save volumes of water at a much cheaper cost than IBT. Various international examples are used to show that IBTs trigger increasing concerns from communities involved or affected, in particular related to the environmental impact on donor and receiving river basins, the economic impact on donor regions, the impact on local cultures and livelihoods, how costs and benefits are distributed (social justice), and issues related to public participation. The chapter concludes by looking ahead at new and more efficient uses of existing IBTs. As conjunctive use management approaches gain support, IBTs will be operated in conjunction with aquifer storage and recovery schemes. They will probably also support the development of emerging water markets, in particular during drought years.
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Notes
- 1.
See “The Croton Aqueduct”, New York Historical Society at https://www.nyhistory.org/seneca/croton.html
- 2.
See the Canal de Provence website at http://www.canal-de-provence.com
- 3.
See website of Landeswasserversorgung – Trinkwasser für Baden-Württemberg at http://www.lw-online.de/
- 4.
See the Aquedotto Pugliese website at www.aqp.it
- 5.
See the Californian Department of Water Resources at www.water.ca.gov
- 6.
Tennessee Valley Authority website at www.tva.gov
- 7.
See presentation of the National Water Carrier at http://www.mekorot.co.il/Eng/Mekorot/Pages/IsraelsWaterSupplySystem.aspx
- 8.
See website of the Tunisian National Water distribution society at www.sonede.com.tn/index.php?id=44
- 9.
A water budget rate is an increasing block rate structure in which the block definition is different for each customer, based on an efficient level of water use by that customer (Mayer et al. 2008, quoted in Beecher 2012).
- 10.
The cost-effectiveness approach consists in calculating the average annual cost of each cubic meter saved (or mobilised) with a set of water supply and water conservation measures. Annual costs are calculated by spreading investment costs over a duration corresponding to the technical lifespan of the project and adding recurring operational and maintenance costs. Diminishing effectiveness (in terms of volumes saved) can be accounted for in the calculation if relevant. The benefit–cost approach consists in estimating the costs and benefits of a set of water conservation measures that can be ranked and prioritised on the basis of a benefit–cost ratio. This approach has been widely used in the US, in particular because it was incorporated in software packages such as IWR-MAIN developed by the Army Corps of Engineers, or the Least Cost Planning Demand Management Decision Support System developed by Maddaus (Maddaus and Maddaus 2004).
- 11.
Comment by Ron Cross, posted on 21 March 2010 at: http://onlineathens.com/stories/032110/opi_593391532.shtml
- 12.
The five thematic issues were the following: (1) the IBT project and urban/economic water demand; (2) the IBT project and irrigated agriculture; (3) IBT and climate change; (4) IBT and alternative solutions; (5) the cost of the project and its impact on water pricing.
- 13.
See Central Arizona Project website at: http://www.cap-az.com/index.php/departments/recharge-program
- 14.
See Water Association Kern County website at http://www.wakc.com/index.php/water-overview/sources-of-water/87-water-banking
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Acknowledgements
J. D. Rinaudo would like to thank Bruno De Grissac for his contribution to this paper through several informal discussions on water conservation related issues. He also acknowledges support from BRGM (scientific program 30) for preparing this chapter.
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Rinaudo, JD., Barraqué, B. (2015). Inter-Basin Transfers as a Supply Option: The End of an Era?. In: Grafton, Q., Daniell, K., Nauges, C., Rinaudo, JD., Chan, N. (eds) Understanding and Managing Urban Water in Transition. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 15. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9801-3_8
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